Years Later
by LyrebirdJacki
Summary: Set after the Keshin is defeated, may be edited as the manga continues but changes shouldn't need to be drastic. Read for yourself if you want to. Rated M for language, possible violence and future adult themes.
1. Chapter 1

_**My first Soul Eater Fanfic, play nice. This is set after they defeat the Keshin. If any information is wrong please politely inform me. Thank you.**_

The atmosphere was perfect. Lush green grass was swaying lazily in the gentle salt tasting breeze, with seagulls floating effortlessly above. The sea could be heard not too far off, along with the hum of the market-place in the distance. Maka stood in the middle of the cobble-stone pavement looking out over the green field in-front of her, realizing just now what she had been missing out with while being at DWMA for so long. Despite traveling the world on missions to destroy witches, she hadn't even noticed the serene landscapes she had surrounding her. She had been to Milan at least a dozen times previously, but to her, this really was new.

"Maka, it's amazing isn't it?" A tall beautiful blonde woman next to her sighed. Once she had killed the keshin, she found her mother and went traveling around the world with her. It had been such a long time since she had spent time with her mother since her parents' split up. She honestly wished it was her father who had left to travel the world and have her mother stay in Death City with her while she was studying and training to turn Soul into a Death-scythe. The time she was spending with her mother now was all worth the wait she thought in her mind; she looked towards her mother's figure and smiled.

"You've been living a wonderful life, traveling wherever you please. Sometimes I wish I went with you." Maka's mother turned her head to see her daughter's emerald eyes with her hazel ones. She smiled, ruffled her hair with one hand and laughed to herself.

"It is wonderful honey. I've seen things and places the majority of people will never see in their whole lives. You could say I've turned into quite a Gypsy. And not to leave out the gorgeous men spread out to the four corners of the Earth, I have enjoyed the company of them the most!" Maka blushed and looked away as they started to cross the path and onto the grass. Her mother smiled slyly as she had noticed Maka's embarrassment. "Oh come on, you didn't think I would just stay alone forever! A woman gets lonely after a divorce or break up. You're lucky you haven't experienced that yet; I envy you." Maka opened her mouth to speak but stopped, turning her head away from her mother more, so she couldn't see her face. They stopped at the edge of the grass which overlooked the sea and beach below. Birds hovered almost head height from where they stood and could even be seen nesting below their feet off the cliff-edge.

"Mama, you remember that boy? The one who was my partner throughout DWMA?" Maka started to fiddle with the edge of her shirt and looked down to her shifting feet. She hadn't seen Soul since she left with her mother. It had been around four years and seven months since they left. Maka blushed again. How could she know it had been that long?

"Ooooh it's a confession is it? That scruffy little guy with a massive case of tough guy syndrome? I thought you'd be more into intellectual boys. Whooohoo you go girl! Can't look pass the bad boys, just like me!" Maka pouted and stomped her feet, playfully punching her mother's arm. Her mum rubbed her arm and grabbed Maka in a head-lock, dragging her into the grass. Both of them rolled around on the ground until Maka ended up on-top of her mother successfully winning the wrestle.

"Yes him. But I wasn't sure about it until we left Death City. And he'd be too cool to like me anyway. He likes girls with big boobs…" Maka's mother put both of her hands up to grope her daughter's chest.

"Well last time I had checked, you had boobs. And they are still there missy." Maka jumped off her mother's belly and wrapped her arms around her chest. It was true she had "grown" over the years, but Soul didn't know that. She was taller too. Almost the spitting image of her mother, except for her eyes which she inherited off her father, Spirit. She kept her hair at a reasonable length but lost the piggy-tails. She either kept it out or in one singular pony-tail because it looked more mature. She also had thighs and hips now, with a curving waist, which to her disgust had a few men in her travels whistle at. She wasn't a little girl in appearance anymore.

"Mama…even though I am with you, I miss all my friends."

"And Soul?" Her mother cut in, earning a dig in the ribs. Her mother nursed her ribcage and stood up out of the grass. The sun was starting to set, leaving a beautiful golden glow on the Earth, making it more serene than possibly thought. She put her hand out to help Maka up off the ground and they stood up side by side.

"We should be getting back to the hotel, it's late." Maka said quietly. They held hands and walked down the lit up street until they got "home".

It was a dark little joint but stylish. The floor was tiled with a diamond pattern and polished so it almost reflected the people walking upon it. The benches and table tops were made of a fine red-grained wood, probably mahogany or some other imported wood; but most likely very expensive. There were stools evenly spaced out along the bar, each with a comfortable looking cushion appearance. It was all dim lighted giving it a 1930's look like in old photographs your grandmother would show you or in the movies; all intentional of course. The bar-tender wiped the beer-glasses with a singular stained white cloth, wearing crescent-moon spectacles on the end of his nose. There was a little stage in the corner of the place where a band or musicians off the street would often perform at night. On that stage was a gorgeous black piano, polished like the floor but to an extent that you could do your make-up by looking into it. Many people played on it but at a particular hour each night and onward, it was reserved for one person.

People started coming through the doors of the bar bringing life to the place. From shifty to fancy-dressed, big and small and probably under-aged, the place was filled and rowdy in a matter of minutes. People ordering drinks here and there, loud yelling and laughing; one would think a party was going on but it was an every night occurrence. A man in thin red pin-stripes on black, so hard to see it almost looked purple, walked in the bar. He wore a black matching fedora which he tipped to the bar-tender, in return earning a wave back and a glass with something alcoholic residing in the bottom placed in-front of him on the bar.

"Thanks Lou." He said with a toothy smile, taking a sip of what turned out to be straight aged rum, his regular first drink of the night. "Busy night as usual?" The bar-tender put the glass he had in his hands down behind the counter and leaned on the bench with one elbow casually.

"Sure is Soul. Though you know, there wouldn't be as many women here if you didn't come and play every night. You should try with one, wouldn't be so hard for you." Lou sounded a little jealous as he said that, making Soul give a light snicker. He then skulled his whole drink, slamming the glass on the bench and sliding it down to Lou.

"Anyone else rocked up yet?" Lou shook his head while re-filling his glass with the same drink, but diluted with what looked like coke.

"Black Star hasn't come in yet; he said he would be smashing some poor sod's fence or something, Tsubaki defiantly trying to stop him of course. Ya' might get them in later. As for Kid, he can't stand this place due to the stage being to the right like that…picky bastard." Soul sighed and leaned lazily over the bench with his bum sticking out, head in his crossed arms like as if he was already hung-over. "But you know from the noise that Patty and Liz are here, but they won't be for long 'cos they are light-weights."

"So a normal night then?"

"Yup, sure is." They went silent for a bit. A man tapped Soul's shoulder making him turn around to see who it was. He was a short, stout man with a fat cigar sitting on the edge of his lip. If he hadn't known him, he would think he was some big mafia boss. It was one of the local musicians that often played at the bar with a saxophone. Soul often played the piano with him but preferred to play solo.

"Ey Evans, ya playin' ta'night? I be bringin' tha boys down an' we can play some tunes like ol' times." He had a heavy accent which didn't help his case on looking like some criminal. But he was actually a nice guy.

"Nah not tonight Leo, not in the mood for depressive Jazz." Even though he personally loved jazz, it would just make him feel worse.

"Awww why not Evans? Ya should be findin' yerself a lady to brighten ya up. But then I spose then we aint be seeing you late nights anymore eh? Have 'nother drink m'boy an' get on stage with me and we can go duo nice 'n slow, whaddya say?" Soul looked at the bottom of his empty glass and shoved it aside.

"Why not old boy?"

Maka lay on the fluffy quilt on her bed. She had tufted it up during her sleep, well what little sleep she had. She had remembered her mother saying that moving on from her father was hard, despite how much she hated him for cheating. She couldn't find comfort in other men until years after her divorce. Maka thought about it for a while and wondered if it would be like that for her too. She was turning twenty-one soon and was still single; which wasn't surprising since she was moving from place to place all the time. Often she had to have a room all to herself while her mother had picked up in town and wondered if she should be doing the same too. But each time she had thought back to Soul and it left her mind quickly. She would get awfully lonely without any contact with her friends apart from sending odd postcards now and then, but she would never get replies due to traveling. She only contacted Death twice since leaving, but only during the early time of her departure. She heard her mother rustle in the bed beside her and get up; probably for a pee she thought.

"42-42-564…" Maka's mother wrote on the steamed up mirror after a hot shower, wrapped up in a towel. The mirror shined and changed, revealing a black cloaked figure on the other side. Death turned around with a cup of tea in his big bulky hands, blowing the steam from it before taking a sip.

"What up?" he humbly asked, lowering the cup and cradling it in his hands. Maka's mother took a deep breath and exhaled.

"It's Maka."

"Not even a hello? That's just like you Kami; always getting to the point quickly." Kami smiled softly, water dripping from her hair.

"And you are always straying from the point sir as always. I want to ask you something about a boy called Soul Eater Evans. Is he still in Death City?" There was noise behind Death which was not what she wanted to hear for it was all too familiar.

"I HEAR MY DARLING'S VOICE! Is, is, IS THAT YOU SWEETIE?" Death swung his hand behind him, hitting the man running full speed towards the mirror on Death's side, sending him sprawling in cartwheels back from where he'd come from.

"Ignore him. Yes, but I wouldn't say he is a boy anymore. He has grown into quite a young man Kami. Veeeery popular with the ladies I must say." Death took another sip at his tea and lowered it. Kami shook her hair a little to rid of the water a bit for it was soaking her towel which wouldn't be good if a certain person gained consciousness again after a good whack from the Shinigami.

"I see. Has he found a woman then?" Death sighed and placed his empty tea cup on a coffee table just behind him.

"Not that I know of. He often goes to a little bar in town but never leaves with anyone unless it's Black Star, which usually leads to a police chase later in the night. You know they had set fire to some expensive car and rolled it down the street until it crashed into some godforsaken alleyway once." He said matter-of-factly as he poured himself another tea and took a sip; giving off a relaxed exhale after lowering his cup.

"I think it's time for us to stop by then. Someone needs to straighten out this hooligan roaming the streets of Death City it seems." Kami pouted.

"What Black Star? I thought your daughter liked Soul?"

"NO I MEANT SOUL! BLACK STAR IS YOUR PROBLEM…I was trying to sound cool you idiot!" Kami huffed and wrapped her hair up into another towel. From behind Death, Spirit got up and ran to the mirror quickly, pressing his face against it like a little kid showing faces in the back of a car at people driving behind them.

"Darling! How are you muffin? How's our baby girl going? I hope she is still a little angel like she was with me! You coming back? Oh I have so much to tell you, WAIT!" Death grabbed Spirit by his collar and took him outside his office and locked the door. He then walked back to the mirror and coughed politely.

"Please excuse him Kami, well we could use some lightening up. But also we might need Maka here for another reason; something important. Kami's eyes farrowed into full seriousness.

"Please fill me in sir."

_**Thanks for informing me about Maka's mother's real name. Thank god it was during early writing for I wouldn't have bothered to change it if this was a long 20, 000 + word story :P **__** This is going to be rated M for later references if I continue this story later when I have the time. I hope you all have enjoyed as of yet. Thanks for reading.**_


	2. Chapter 2

All the women in the bar, from young to old all sighed in awe as the band played on the stage. They were all on the edge of their seats, elbows on tables or benches with fluttering eyes as they played their slow, almost romantic tunes throughout the place. However, despite all band members with equal talent playing, they all had their eyes on one, well most of them anyway. Soul sat at the piano gracefully fingering the keys to lay out a soothing tune matching the others around him. Leo was right at the front with a scrawny woman with long jet-black hair, sprinkled lightly with gold glitter which flickered alluringly under the dim lights above them. Of course, she was the attention of all the male company as Soul was occupying the womens' eyes. Her dress matched the glitter on her hair, it was short up to her mid-thighs; just asking to be gawked at by the bar residents. The bar was quiet whenever the band played, not a soul wanted to disturb their performance while it was on; well unless they were really drunk.

"Ha! Instruments are for girls…" Slurred Patty towards no one in particular, her head rolling around as she just managed to prop herself up on the table. "Anyone can make noise with a sexamaphone or mash the buttons on the…button thingy. LET'S GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE LIZ! And guy I don't know…" Patty hadn't moved from her spot for the room was moving for her. Liz laying back on a chair so her head was over the back and facing the ceiling was next to her. She lifted one arm up lazily and drooped it over Patty's shoulder.

"Yeyah, let's go…too much noise for too much alcohol consumption. I swear they play music to make us go home, loud buncha pricks." She got up shakily and stumbled along the wall; Patty attempting to follow her lead until they found the door.

"Fuck you all…" Patty left with a flip of the bird before closing the bar door behind them and disappeared down the street leaving the rest of the bar at a tolerable volume.

"Well there goes tha partay fellas." Said Leo as he placed his sax in its case that was leaning beside the piano. "An' I'll be off to ma missus for ta'night. Later boys." And with that he signaled to the other musicians and they all began to pack up. Soul however, still sat in-front of the piano staring at the keys blankly.

"You are good with your fingering. You be popular with women much yes?" The singer from before had approached him and seductively ran her fingers along the piano leaving a streak along its beautiful polish. She didn't get a reply much to her disappointment so she adjusted her pose to make herself a little more revealing.

"Darling, you seem down." She placed a hand on his hunched back, handing a glass of something in-front of him; gladly excepted. She sounded Russian but she claimed to be an American citizen from a previous conversation he had with her, though that is probably just a cover up. She was defiantly a shifty person and with a dark past most likely. Soul didn't even look up at her as he drank down what she had given him.

"None of your business Tanya, now go home like the rest of them." Tanya gave a nasty snarl and spat on the piano just in-front of Soul, barely missing the drink he was holding.

"Rude little bastard." And with that she was gone. The whole bar was empty except for Soul and the bartender again. The bartender headed towards Soul and tapped his head with his finger to get his attention.

"You want me to call a cab boy?" Soul stood up slowly and handed Lou his glass which still had most of its contents inside and went pass him gloomily. Lou adjusted his glasses to the back of his nose and placed a firm grip on his shoulder. "You can't just keep to yourself like this; to me you just look like a person who gives up on everything. Move on Evans."

"Get me another."

"You're off tap."

"Fuck off…"

"Get ou…" Before Lou could finish the doors burst open.

"HERE COMES THE ONE AND ONLY!" Soul rolled his eyes; this wouldn't help him very much he was sure. Black Star made a bee-line straight for Soul and gave him a great big bear hug making him feel nauseated. "Hey, let's go do something stupid man!" He attempted to whisper but of course that was too much for Black Star to handle. By looking at them both, one would think the other was on the booze but had not a drop of it in his system.

"I don't think I could handle anything with you tonight, I need a good sleep right now…" Black Star inhaled like a pig, exposing his nostrils disgustingly making Soul once again want to vomit.

"NONSENSE! What you need is a good adrenaline rush. Now follow me!" With that he reefed Soul out of the bar by the arm nearly pulling it out of its socket and blowing out his eardrums with this loud volume and they stood outside. Soul wasn't sure why they just stood there, expecting his carcass to be dragged a little further than just outside.

"What are you doing you idiot…what are we doing?" Black Star just waited patiently, eyes keen down the road. Soul looked in that direction to spot flickering lights coming at a fast pace. Black Star waved his arms and yelled at the top of his voice in that direction. At that moment Soul knew what he was going to do.

"THE SCOUNDREL IS OVER HERE OFFICERS! COME GET 'IM!" Soul's eyes widened, he could barely stand but he had no choice but to run now. He looked down the street and bolted, nearly tripping over his feet as he saw Black Star clear miles so much faster than him with his wicked laugh bellowing throughout the street. He could hear the sirens approaching now and he cursed under his breath and mentally written down in the back of his mind that he was going to flog the living shit out of Black Star when he caught up to him.

"I hate Mondays…"

Maka lay there watching the ceiling. There was a little spider spinning a web throughout the night and early hours of the morning that she had watched to put herself to sleep but wasn't very successful. She pretended to be asleep when her mother returned, smelling of something nice like vanilla or honey, perhaps both so she had guessed she had a shower or bath. Her mother almost instantly started a light snore the moment she hit the mattress which made Maka feel envious on her ability to do so.

Light began to flicker through the curtains illuminating the room, not long putting the night animals' chorus to rest and bringing forth an orchestra of morning birds. Maka sat up and rustled her hair, then wiped her eyes. She stood up and stretched, then left towards the bathroom door of the hotel room. She flushed the toilet and while washing her hands she looked at her reflection the little circular mirror just head height above the sink. She splashed her face with water and noticed she had looked pretty rugged.

"Stuff it, I'll take a shower…"

"Now what? There is nothing to do now that the Keshin is dead. This is going to be sooo boring!" Soul whined as they walked down the steaming hot streets of Death City; the sun almost seemed to be laughing at them both, encouraging more anger to the boy.

"Well we won't have to worry about fighting or dieing anymore I spose, isn't that good? It'll just be the occasional witch or demon every now and then."

"Uncool man, totally uncool…" Maka pouted and hit Soul with the spine of a book she was cradling; god she would make one abusive yet effective teacher one day he thought; thank god he was graduated.

"What? You enjoyed getting hurt? I can help you feel pain again if you REALLY want it that badly you know." She said as she lifted her book. Soul winced and covered his head with his hands signaling he didn't want that at all from her, earning a contented huff from Maka which made him smile inwardly.

"We need something fun to do man, some action. Basketball or strapping fireworks to cats occasionally just doesn't cut it after a while you know?" Maka's eyes widened as she looked at him in both disgust and surprise.

"YOU DID THAT TO A CAT!"

"Well, not just one…"

"Seriously? You don't have to be cruel to be cool you understand that right?"

"Hey we stopped after one climbed up Black Star's leg giving him third degree burns from the explosion. Besides Death put out warrants for culling feral animal populations, so we were helping out.

"I'll have to ask Death that myself. For now I'll let you off with a warning. Wait we?" Soul looked at her dumbfounded and retraced his conversation in his brain to figure out what she meant.

"Oh yeah, Black Star and I did it together, he caught them and I strappe…" Maka held her hand up signaling she didn't want to hear further.

"Well I do agree it will be just a little boring now all the action and fighting is over, but we still are recruiting students at the school. I want to be a teacher, you should too you know." Soul knew she was coming to that. It would be easier for her to do demonstrations with him by her side instead of using some "other" weapon, and besides, it would be WAY cooler with him as her weapon in-front of the future students.

"I can picture it now…"

"OH Wow that is so cool, that devilishly handsome guy there just turned into a deadly looking scythe man! I wish I could do that!"

"HAHAHA, not in a million years will you become as cool as I young one!" Maka giggled at Soul's impressions of students in amazement which quite reminded her of Black Star's attitude towards how he thinks people see him, but she decided to keep that to herself. Then she remembered something important she had to mention to Soul, and now that he was in a "better" mood it was probably a better time to tell him now.

"Hey Soul? I got a letter from Mama…" she stopped walking with him and started fiddling with her clothes. Soul stopped talking to himself and looked back at her puzzled.

"Yeah so? What'd she say? Eat well and prosper or something boring like that? Or she got some new boyfriend and you are feeling uncomfortable?" Maka smiled at his attempt on sounding like he didn't care, but could tell he was concerned; or for all she knew he was truly clueless, he is a boy after all.

"No, she congratulated us about the Keshin and you becoming a Death-sythe and whatnot. But what really caught my eye is that she is coming to Death City for a visit." Soul looked at her and gave a casual smile and placed one hand on-top of her head like a puppy.

"That's good right? What's wrong with that? You seem worried; I thought you loved your mum?" Maka seemed to be bottling something inside of her. He wasn't sure if she was about to cry or burst out in giggles; or both.

"Of course it is! I haven't seen her since I was very little! I can't wait! But papa might do something stupid…" Soul sighed heavily.

"That's why you're worried I'm guessing? Maka nodded in response. Soul flexed his right arm in-front of Maka in a cocky way which made her raise an eyebrow.

"If he dare come within a fifty mile radius of your reunion, I will personally chauffeur his ass out into the desert. How bout that?" Maka laughed happily which made Soul show a big grin for all the world to see. Then Maka bent in close to Soul's face and whispered into his ear.

"You know, you didn't look very cool with the whole muscle thing, totally uncool man." Soul huffed and spat on the pavement bellow them, speeding ahead.

"You loved it!" Maka smiled like a little girl that had just received a big bag of lollies.

"Yes, yes I did…" she admitted to herself.

They walked all the way to their apartment as per usual and opened the creaky door. It was in desperate need of a vacuum Maka mentally noted as she watched Soul make a bee-line for the couch, turning on the TV with the remote he had just sat on. She dropped her book on the kitchen bench and started taking off her sweat covered shirt halfway down the hallway towards her bedroom; knowing Soul would be too glued to the TV anyway to have noticed and give a rude remark to her flat chest. She rummaged through her neatly folded draws to find a clean thin singlet and pulled it over her head, then sliding it smoothly over her long body. She unzipped her skirt and let it drop to her ankles whilst searching for some shorts to laze around the house in or maybe do that vacuuming she was thinking of doing. She slid a pair of khaki coloured shorts up her legs and over her thighs, doing up the button after getting them at a comfortable height. She then flicked her hair that was tucked underneath the singlet she had put on and shook it making sweat flick allover the walls.

"God this heat is terrible" she thought to herself as she picked up her discarded clothing and headed back down the hallway, stopping at Soul's bedroom. She cocked an eyebrow to find herself basking in the glow of discarded clothes scattered all over the floor. "Well at least I know for sure he isn't gay…" with that thought she started picking up odd shirts and pants until she couldn't even see over the bundle she was holding.

"MAKA! WANNA WATCH A MOVIE? THERE'S A SLASHER ON RIGHT NOW! HURRY UP BEFORE IT STARTS!" Hearing his voice she forgot where she was at and walked into a wall, dropping half of the clothes on the floor. She cursed under her breath and tried picking the fallen clothes up, only dropping most of what she had left cradled in her arms. Maka made a loud growl and ended up throwing the lot where it was and headed to the living room, almost jumping on Soul's lap, making sure to hurt him and grumbling something under her breath to show her disgust in something he wasn't sure of just yet.

"What's up your ass now?" he tried to sound cool as usual, which got on her nerves.

"Well someone didn't do their washing this week…or last week either by the looks of it." Soul remembered he had barely spent time at home, he'd just go out to Kid's or Black Star's, come home the next day, get a new change of clothes, DUMP his old set and head out the door and repeat…he knew he was in for a nagging now.

"Well how about you miss the first ten minutes of this movie and do your washing, I already dragged it halfway to the washing machine so it won't be THAT hard for you to do.

"How about after the movie? It can't be longer than two hours anyway." Maka dug her elbow into his side making him slide to the edge of the couch, making her fall down sideways onto the couch. She found it to be a game and started to wrestle him on the couch; his dirty clothes waiting in the hallway patiently completely left her mind after the couch war started.

They roared with giggles and laughs until Soul managed to find himself propped on his elbows holding Maka down by her wrists into the couch cushions below. He was inches from her face which had ceased in laughter and turned to heavy breathing instead. He hadn't realized what he had done to make her change in reaction like that until he stared into her eyes. Her eyes were half closed but staring directly into his in a seductive way. He hadn't noticed until now how smooth her skin looked, and how red her lips were…

"Woah shit sorry Maka I'm sorry." He'd quickly got off her and the couch, standing beside her apologetically. She still lay there and gave off a heavy breath before sitting up straight. Even though it was momentarily she felt so different just then,she'dhought to herself.

"Sorry Soul, I'll skip the movie and go to bed for tonight. I'll have my dinner in the morning, just heat your's up when you want, g'night." Before he could say anything she was gone down the hallway and vanished with a click of her door. He followed her down and stopped at her door, deciding not to disturb her and spotted the heap on the floor near his room.

"Right, better set things straight."

The next morning Maka woke up after a series of lustful dreams. She had them a few times but sometimes the "other" in her dream wasn't anyone in particular, just a person. But this time it was Soul. She had replayed the moment on the couch but had continued it further; but she wouldn't tell anyone that, not even Tsubaki. At least she could blame the sweat on the weather she thought to herself as she stepped out of bed and rubbed her eyes. She got up and opened the door, starting towards the bathroom until she heard some commotion in the living room.

"So you're her roommate, nice to meet you, I'm…" Maka stumbled towards the living room stopping all talking, earning all eyes to her. She saw Soul sitting next to a blonde woman who looked just like…

"Mama?" she managed to choke out. A warm smile was welcomed back from the woman and she got up, headed towards Maka and gave her a heartwarming hug. Maka was shocked to see her mother in her apartment, let alone feeling her hugging her right now this very moment. Tears swelled up in her eyes as she returned the hug back happily.

"It's good to see you again sweetie, I'm so sorry it wasn't any sooner, please forgive me." Maka pushed her away to look into her eyes with her own.

"No, now is better than never, and I'm glad you're here." They stood there for a while in each other's embrace making Soul feel a little awkward. He had only just met this woman and already he knew she was Maka's mother just from her appearance. She had larger boobs though and a better figure he thought to himself, hoping Maka would take after her mother more when she got older. He would wait until she left them both alone before he would crack that one at Maka to make her angry, and probably deserve a good round of pain for it, but her reaction would be worth it for sure.

"Sweetie, I want to ask you something. You don't have to answer straight away but I want you to travel with me." Soul's heart stopped when she mentioned "travel" and stared at Maka for her response. Already his view on her mum now was changing to dislike but he wouldn't say anything until Maka did. Maka was quiet for a little; Soul was starting to feel uneasy with where this was going right now.

"Of course I'd love to!"

Soul sat up instantly from his sleep in the dirty cell breathing heavily for a moment until he realized it was all just a dream. The mattress he lay on felt like it was made out of the same material as the floor which didn't help with his hangover somewhat. He looked around the cell to find he was alone, thinking the little prick Black Star had out-ran the cops to leave him for the blame. He lazily let himself drop on his side back on the stiff bed and rolled over so he was facing the brick wall.

"I wonder how she is doing now."


	3. Chapter 3

Maka stepped out of the shower and onto the elegantly beige tiled floor with contrasting black grout which made it stand out incredibly against the similar coloured beige walls. She dried her whole body starting with her hair, making her way towards the mirror to stand in-front of it. She wasn't really looking at it until she finished roughly drying herself down. She went to wipe the foggy mirror when she had noticed something had been written into it before. It was hard to read due to droplets had slid down the glass during her shower but it defiantly looked like a number.

"Hmm, forty two, forty two…" she thought to herself thank god it wasn't the room's phone number relieving herself of a possible night without sleep again. Then it hit her, she knew what it was now.

"Mama contacted…Death? Why? She never did that while we were traveling as far as I know. Something must be up…" She placed her towel on the rack nearby and started to dress when she heard a knock on the door.

"Sweetie, we are going now, hurry up we need to get to the airport asap…and I need to pee." Defiantly suspicious behavior. Not once had they taken a plane but traveled everywhere by hitchhike, motor-vehicle or ferry.

"Where are we going mama? I thought we were going to Scandinavia after this?" She slid on the rest of her clothes and opened the door, almost being knocked over as Kami ran in and closed the door behind her; a loud reliving sigh was emitted along with the sound of running water, she must have held that one in for a while.

"Maka, we are going to America this time." Maka's chest felt tight for a moment and her breath quickened with excitement.

"Whereabouts? We haven't been to Alaska yet!" she was purposely trying to hide where she was really wanting to go, just waiting for an answer. She heard the toilet flush and the tap started running. Maka was on her toes right in-front of the door which felt like forever when really it was only a few minutes maximum. The door opened with her mum standing in its wake, full seriousness on her face now unlike before.

"Death City."

"Black Star, that wasn't very nice of you. You should pay bail for him right this instant!" Tsubaki yelled over the room at him with no avail. He was squatted on their couch holding a game controller like a chimpanzee would at a zoo. Next to him sat Patty and Liz with a very uncomfortable Kid in the centre of them both. He was probably more uncomfortable with the way the room was set and the couch having three legs than being squished by two women on a small couch. Black Star grunted like an animal as he mashed the buttons on the controller and threw it across the room when he had lost, much to Patty's excitement.

"HAHA I BEAT YOU!" She screamed out loud, bursting Kids ears making him cringe.

"I let you win, play with your sister now, I'm bored with this. Gods of awesomeness don't play easy games like this anyways." He got off the couch and headed to the kitchen where Tsubaki was situated. She was squeezing oranges to make juice for herself and later take a walk. She was planning on taking her savings to the jail for Soul's bail as an apology for Black Star's actions; knowing he would be safe would be better than a new couch anyway, it can survive with three legs a little while longer.

"You look like you are going somewhere, isn't it a bit hot outside?" Black Star said as he approached her. She took a swig at her freshly squeezed orange juice and placed it firmly on the bench-top. She stared at him with a cocked eyebrow and huffed disapprovingly.

"Im going to the jail you twit." She said out straight, earning a loud ignorant burst of laughter from him.

"Well go blow up someone's mailbox then, its eeeeasy getting into jail!" he slapped his stomach to emphasize how much he found her funny. Tsubaki sighed irritably and gave him a good hard slap to his face leaving a hand shaped mark in its wake.

"No you idiot, I'm going to pay bail for Soul. You know, you DID put him in jail to save your scrawny ass." Black Star stopped laughing and leaned in towards Tsubaki as if to tell her a secret. Tsubaki figured it would be some sort of trick to give him an excuse to laugh at her again and was ready to hit him any time now.

"I'm going to bust him out of there, there was a reason why I got him all locked up." Tsubaki didn't know where this was going but it didn't sound too good from her perspective, however for Black Star, he sounded like a genius in his mind surely.

"And WHAT is the reason you put him in jail?" She answered going along with him with this one. He leaned lazily over the bench-top and sighed.

"Because I was bored, I want to get all ninja again and do something. This'll defiantly be fun for sure." Tsubaki was quiet for a moment and rolled her eyes.

"And when you bust him out of jail, he'll be on the run for the rest of his life. Did you think about that? He won't be able to live casually anymore!"

"That's exactly what I want! Wouldn't that be a fun life! Always getting chased by the law, fighting your way for escape every night…" Tsubaki gave him a hard back-hand to his face, leaving another big red mark. He rubbed it tenderly wondering where he went wrong now.

"The fun life for YOU! Soul doesn't want that you idiot…Why don't you ever think shit through. EVER?" Black Star was quiet for a little as if he was setting some time aside for thinking, and then a big Cheshire Cat smile spread across his face.

"Yeah I think I screwed up just now."

"Yes, I think you did." Tsubaki agreed.

"No couch then?"

"No."

"HAHA YOU SUCK LIZ!" Patty stood up on the couch and jumped up and down in triumph. Liz placed her controller on the coffee table in-front of the couch and moved to a lying position leaving her legs over Kid's lap, disturbing his idea of symmetry further. Patty continued to jump until she felt something collapse below her. The couch made a loud cracking noise and fell to one side.

"Well at least both the legs broke on one side so it's slightly reasonable now…" Kid mumbled. Patty laughed hysterically with her hands covering her stomach and fell onto the floor still laughing. Kid had his arms crossed like a child who didn't want his photo taken, while Tsubaki shook her head in disapproval.

"You had better get a part time job Black Star. That couch wont last forever at this rate."

"Ey pretty boy, you gawna eat dat?" One of the many large meaty men from across the prison dining table glared at Soul's dinner, if you'd call it that. Soul sized the man up and scoffed; he could take him on.

"Get stuffed you fat bastard." The man stood up instantly, reached over the table and grabbed a handful of Soul's shirt with one hairy thick fist, his face touching Soul's it was that close. His eyes looked like they were going to burst all over Soul's face, but Soul wasn't sure whether the vein on his forehead was going to last much longer either due to it was pumped with that much blood.

"YER WANNA FIGHT YA COCKY LIL' PRICK? I'LL PULVERISE YA!" The whole dinner room filled up with laughter and bets were being made by just about every sleaze-ball present, any sleaze-ball with something to bet on to be more accurate. Soul kept his cool and didn't falter with fear, causing the man to enrage further more.

"I'll beat your ass in any day old man." Soul whispered quietly to his aggressor so only he could hear. He gave a confident toothy-grin and lifted his arms up in the air in a "so what" kind of way. "You won't even see it coming. All you need to do is say the word and I'll make you look so uncool in-front of all your inmate bum-buddies here. C'mon!"

"SHUDDUUUUP!" with that the man lifted Soul over his head easily like he was shaking a doll to smash his head on the table and then let out a terrible deafening yelp that bellowed throughout the room. The cheering ceased as everyone stared at Soul who was dropped onto the table unharmed while the other man was doing circles on the floor cradling his hand into his chest in tears. "WHAT'D YOU DO SMALL FRY? IT HURTS!"

"Magic." Soul placed one palm on his shoulder and rolled it backwards. All the men in the room looked at him in awe, Soul just soaking it in like a sponge enjoying every moment of it. The man on the floor got up and stood in-front of Soul. Despite being on the table, the man was now just under eye-level with him from standing on the floor. He had blood all over his clothes and still kept his hand tucked away around his chest with his other hand covering it from sight as much as possible. He looked at Soul carefully now appearing to have lost most of his anger.

"You're one of them Weapon kinds aint 'cha? We gits plenty of 'em come 'n go here. Too dangerous for my likin'." Soul watched him carefully with squinted eyes and an upturned lip, showing a little tooth to make himself look a little intimidating, well he'd hoped so.

"What of it? Too dangerous as in you can't beat us up? You're terrible. What'd you get thrown in here for? Wife bashing? Wouldn't surprise me." The man didn't seem to anger at all by that comment but just took in a deep breath and let it go.

"Yer kind be lucky ya know. They'll probably get you out soon. That school up there usually takes ya lot out within a month, or kills ya if you're too bad. But that's betta than being stuck in 'ere." Soul noted what he'd said in the back of his head as a hopeful solution of getting out and starting his chase for kicking Black Star's ass asap. On the other hand, this all got his mind off moping around like some mentally unstable alcoholic that can't get over one woman…

"ALRIGHT BREAK IT UP!" Soul inwardly laughed at that being perfectly timed with his thoughts as he climbed down from the dinner table. A prison guard walked in with a pretty young lady and a young boy behind her, turning out to be Tsubaki and Black Star. Tsubaki looked around cautiously at all the eyeballs just drilling through her clothes and instantly regretted coming in to see Soul herself in person. She figured he would be by himself or something, not in a large room filled with criminals; boy was she wrong. Black Star appeared as his usual self, arms behind his head casually just taking a gander at the place like as if it was something he saw everyday; if he got caught for everything he did he probably would be however. Just seeing him made Soul furious.

"Mr. Soul Eater Evans? Please step this way and follow me outside please." The prison-guard called out into the room. Soul made his way through the many sweating bodies and envious eyes to the doorway where the guard stood and exited with them. He gave a glare that could kill to Black Star who kept a good distance from him and received a welcoming hug from Tsubaki.

"Glad you're ok. Hope they didn't ruffle you up too much in there." She elbowed Black Star in the ribs signaling him to say something. Soul spat on the ground while the guard wasn't looking and grunted.

"Nah I didn't hurt them too badly, thanks for your consideration of others. So how much do I owe you?" Tsubaki shook her head and patted him on the back.

"This one is on me, don't worry about it. Black Star is going to get a job…I-s-n'-t-h-e?" She dragged out the last bit giving Black Star the shivers. He moved closer to Soul and whispered to him.

"I'm sorry man; I didn't think this one through which is unusual for the almighty Black Star himself. I was planning on breaking an entry and bustin' you outta here but Tsubaki said you wouldn't be able to show your face around here again if I did. Will you forgive me?" Soul gave a sigh as they reached some waiting room of sorts and waited. Tsubaki reached into a messenger type bag she had slung over her shoulder and pulled out a clean shirt of his, handing it over to Soul.

"Here, I brought you one so you can at least not get stopped by every police man that walks pass you." Soul instantly ripped off his current shirt and slipped on the new one. It felt like wearing a new skin he thought, even smelt washed. Which had him thinking again about how he left his washing all over the floor four years ago.

"Four and a bit." Tsubaki corrected.

"Wait what?" Soul questioned in a puzzling expression. She giggled as they started to walk him out of the jail down the street towards his lonely apartment which was quite a distance from the jail; thank god it was dark for the sun would have been a killer.

"You were speaking aloud. You still miss her too?" Tsubaki tilted her head to the side and Black Star let out a big "pffft" noise.

"Awww c'mon, she's just a girl, and she has no boobs man. But that sexy lady at the bar last night was more what I could see you with. I'd tap that." Tsubaki rolled her eyes and hit him over the back of his head drawing a little blood to trickle down his neck leaving him squatting in the middle of the path holding his head squealing.

"If you keep faith, you'll be rewarded. She'll come back to visit sometime. Right now she is making up lost time with her mother; I think she deserves at least that."

"Who's Faith? Oh I knew you had some hottie stowed away in your little sex dungeon of yours. What size is she ey?" Tsubaki gave a fierce look towards Black Star which gave him a hint to shut up or she'd draw more blood from him. Soul stopped walking and smiled gently.

"Thanks guys, I'll keep that in mind. I'd better pick up my shit now and do something of myself then hey?" Tsubaki's eyes lit up happily and she clapped for him.

"Oh really? That's wonderful."

"I was joking. First I have something small I need to settle."

"Wha?" Black Star looked blankly at Soul and before he knew it he had a face full of knuckles and was sent flying backwards in cartwheels.

"Get a job and for god's sake buy her a new couch."

"Ye, ye, yes sir…"


	4. Chapter 4

"You hear! He's out of jail!" Kid held the phone awkwardly in-front of his face due to how improper it would look on the one side of his head like how common people hold the damn things. Come on that is just wrong, unless there were two phones that one was to talk into and the other to listen; that would be better. At least now they have a loud speaker on for those who can see how terribly wrong it is to hold it to one side…

"I can hear you thinking…you seem to do it out loud at times Kid." It was a female's voice on the other side of the phone, not just any but a now annoyed female voice, and that could never be pretty in the end.

"But it IS just a stupid idea. The phone is a horrible contraption."

"Yet you have two in your house."

"Because I had to balance out the room to make it even Liz, obviously."

"Well it isn't anymore because you are on one side talking on one phone, unless there are TWO of you in there…Hello? You still there? KID?" Kid dropped the phone and panicked about his current realization.

"How, HOW did I not think this through! Unless I made a clone that would hold the other phone whilst I talk with the other this just wont work!"

"KID, IT'S FINE!" a loud scream from the phone's speaker, not even wavering Kid the slightest bit.

"I know, ill drag both phones to the center of the room so I'm in the middle too, making it all symmetrical, as it should be." Liz seemed to be getting quite annoyed at this point and the sound of dial-tone filled the room along with continuous mutters from Kid as he attempted to pull both phones across the room to the centre.

"Damn, the cords aren't long enough…"

"What did he say about Soul getting out of Jail?" Tsubaki questioned as Liz slammed the phone down and let out an irritated yell.

"ARRRGGH! GOD HE IS SO ANNOYING! I don't think he even registered what I said except that his house is flawed. Now he is going to do something stupid and probably won't have phone access for a long time."

"Wow, how'd you know that?"

"HE'S STUPID HAHAHA!" Patty was slapping her knee and laughing hysterically. Liz thought that in their past lives, Patty must've been a hyena and she some tall dull animal…giraffe perhaps.

"We had "problems" with the phone before. I'll give it a few weeks before he gets all his blueprints lined out with where the phone or phones will be placed. And then having his house remodeled will take another few weeks or so…"

"Fun…"

"You have no idea what it's like living with a weirdo." Tsubaki peered around the corner to wittiness Black Star picking his nose and wiping it on the wall. Then pulling out a small wooden ruler from on-top of a little table next to the chair he was sitting on and held it against the wall.

"WHOOOO! It's a millimeter longer than this mornings!" Patty went skidding around the corner to where Black Star was and stood in amazement at his accomplishment which Tsubaki knew she had to scrape off later.

"I bet I could do better!" and before Liz and Tsubaki could turn their heads, she had her finger dug right up one of her nostrils digging for "gold". She pulled her finger out and placed it on the wall where Black Star had previously done so.

"Measure it." She demanded. Black Star could already see it was bigger than his and shakily held the ruler up to the wall.

"HA IT'S BIGGER THAN YOURS!"

"Not for long!" Both of his fingers went up each nostril and the war was on from then on out. Liz sighed and looked at Tsubaki annoyingly.

"Now I know you have Black Star as one weirdo to live with, but I have two. So you have to see some sympathy with me now."

"At least they don't put people into jail for an adrenaline rush…"

"Nah, one just get put into jail by herself, and the other one is always paying bail, so I've got it pretty good there. Tis' a shame about you losing your couch funds though. You want me to chip in or something?"

"Nah it's ok, Black Star promised he will work for it." Liz scoffed, trying to hold back a laugh making Tsubaki cross her arms disapprovingly.

"He will do it."

"What makes you think that? He first needs to GET a job that will keep him. Reckon he could do that?" Tsubaki's head dropped to her breasts and she let out a big heavy sigh; she knew she already lost this argument.

"Maybe there might be a bounty job or something. I couldn't see him working part time at a shop or cleaning floors."

"He could do prostitution? He has a lot of energy for that." Liz joked earning a slap from a red-faced Tsubaki.

"Now what makes you think he'd do that?" She questioned.

"It pays good."

"How would you know?" Now curiosity was getting the better of her. Liz gave a big seductive grin, puffed her chest out and parting her thighs a little whilst leaning backwards over the kitchen counter, changing her pose to someone of the streets.

"Patty and I did have a very different lifestyle before we were enrolled at DWMA with a roof over our heads. Though Patty preferred killing and stealing. These days you need money to survive and you have to do anything to get it…"

"Don't say anymore, I get it." Liz giggled and gave Tsubaki a hard slap on the back.

"So you done 'im yet? I can give you pointers if you like. Guys really like it when ya lay them on their back and straddle…"

"NO IM NOT LISTENING!" Tsubaki stormed out of the kitchen with her hands covering her ears while she headed down their hallway towards the bathroom; a loud bang as a door slammed shut shortly afterwards. Liz gave a short snort and leaned over the counter on her elbows and breasts as if she owned the house.

"She hasn't."

Maka stepped out of the small private black taxi, one of the many which is provided for DWMA students around the world while they are on missions and do not own a vehicle of their own. It had been a long time since she had sat in one of those; however she barely did since she usually sat on the back of Soul's motorcycle whenever they went places. She wondered if he still had it…

"T'will be a ten'a minutes, Madam an'a Miss." A handsome young man probably mid-twenties in an aviator jacket with a slight moustache approached them as they exited the taxi. "I take your bags?" Kami waved the man off and got her own out of the back of the taxi along with Maka's things, handing them to her.

"We will be fine sir, thank you. Will you be flying us today?" The man shook his head.

"No ma'am, I is a just'a co-pilot. The pilot will be here soon don't'a worry." Maka scanned the airport while waiting so she didn't have to keep up in conversation with her mother and the co-pilot. It was a little chilly and had a strong wind, blowing around her clothes a little and her mother's dress, which now she realised why her mother wanted to hold her own bags; to cover up the dress blowing out the front.

"Smart…" she said to herself. In the distance she could hear an engine which was most likely the jet which was to take them to America; and sure than likely it was. The little white jet approached at a fast speed towards the runway, with a little black painted skull on the body which proved it was for them. It landed only metres away from where they were standing almost sending Maka off the ground from the force of the landing. The pilot kept the engine on idle as the co-pilot opened the door, dropping an in-built staircase with it for them to climb on.

It was very cramped inside but she thought it had to be like that for it to go fast. She had found a spot to sit next to her mother who was already belted up and ready to go. Maka still had her bag on her lap which the co-pilot put his hand out to grab.

"Miss, I put that away for you." She handed her bags to him and he put it behind his seat along with Kami's. He sat in the front next to the pilot after pulling close the door; the pilot then turned around in his seat so he could see Maka and Kami.

"Allo there ladies. Hope you both took a wizzy before you left because we won't be stopping for a long time now. We are good to go are we?" before Maka could open her mouth to speak he'd already cut in. "Alright, hold onto your knickers ladies!" and before Maka knew it the jet was moving down the runway.

"Not long now sweetie, have a good sleep and we'll be there before you know it." Kami comforted Maka rubbing her hand with hers. Maka yawned from not having sleep previously and shifted in her chair a little so she was more comfortable. She waited for the jet to take lift off and smoothen out its flight high in the sky before she closed her eyes peacefully, finally getting some rest.

"Not long now…"

"Dad, I need to have a word with you." Kid entered Death's office hurriedly carrying scrolls of paper, dropping many on the floor like the bread crumbs in Hansel and Gretel.

"Oh hey, how are ya…what are those?" Death braced himself for something he figured was going to be a long argument over something little. Kid threw all the scrolls onto his coffee table situated in the middle of his office, and then quickly aligning them all straight and…

"Oh god I only have seven here, we can't have that, I'll be back soon!" and before Death could put a word in sideways, Kid was off picking up his trail of paper scrolls. Death looked down at his table and grabbed one of the scrolls, opening it a little to see what was inside.

"Oh goodness not again…" he put that one down and went to the next one. Then the next one…the third and then the forth until he had gone through all seven.

"He has been busy now hasn't he?" His office door opened again but this time Spirit waltzed in happily.

"Hellooooo! By the way, I think your son is weird, you know that right?" Spirit said as he made his way up to where Death was with a steaming cup of tea for him. Death gladly took it with a short "thank you" in return.

"You just saw him didn't you? Looks like he wants to remodel a room in his house again…" Spirit grabbed one of the paper scrolls as well, opening it leaving him dumbfounded.

"He, he drew this? It's amazing, he should become an architect! Well, for people who want irritably OCD houses anyway."

"That's why he ISN'T an architect Spirit, no one wants a obsessively symmetrical house like he does." He took a quick sip from the edge of his cup and gave a relaxed sigh. "You should get a job as a tea maker."

"I pretty much already am one aren't I? I must make fifty of them a day for you or something." Death laughed and took another sip.

"But that's why I said you need to get a _job_ as a tea maker; I'm not paying you a cent you know. By now you could have bought a whole house if I paid you for every cup you brought me. No wonder why your daughter left you for Kami." Spirit started sobbing hysterically; wiping his eyes with the scroll he was currently looking at, getting graphite all over his face.

"Well you're a mean thing aren't you? I haven't seen my babykins in so long…I wish she would just come home right now!"

"I bet you that she will come home tonight for a photo of my ex-wife if you like; she's a total hottie you know. And if I win you will continue to make me free tea until you die." Spirits face lit up like a jack-o-lantern, with a smile just like one to boot.

"You're on old man!"

"Hehe more tea for me then…" Death then finished the last of his tea and handed the cup to Spirit.

"You're a confident bastard." Spirit muttered.

"I'll try out some of that new imported Earl Grey that came in whenever you're ready."


	5. Chapter 5

"Well we're off to visit Kim and Ox for to steal a spot of lunch now, well try to, cya later Tsubaki, Black Star!" Liz and Patty both waved at the door and went off in their own as Tsubaki closed the door behind them. She spotted Black Star picking at a crack in the paint on the wall, peeling it away to reveal the plaster underneath making it look worse.

"Right! Now we have to start looking for work for you. Get up!" She slammed her palm on the wall above him to make him jump, without him admitting to getting startled of course.

"Pfft it's a Wednesday! You don't look for work on a Wednesday."

"Then what day do you look for work?" She stood with her hands on her hips impatiently waiting for an answer.

"Dunno, just not today, besides its pass lunch and I didn't have any."

"Because we have to be tight with money at the moment since we used our back up savings…hence why we need you to get a job."

"Why don't you get one then?"

"I have one you twit, how else did I have money in the first place? A second income would help wonders you know." Black Star looked astonished.

"You have a job? I didn't know that! I thought you were dole bludging like me!" he earned the next whack that came to him, leaving him once again rubbing his scalp tenderly.

"Come on, let's go, it'll give you something to occupy yourself with."

"Ok…" Black Star gave a disheartened huff as Tsubaki held the door open for him like as if he were a caged animal being let out for a run out in the dun for a bit; and damn, didn't he not want to go out into that sunshine now.

"Honey, wake up, we're about to land." Maka groaned from her uncomfortable sleep sitting upright in the cramped chair. She turned the other way and stretched her stiff legs a little before closing her eyes again from her disruption. "Wake up now Maka." Still no use. Her mother decided this wasn't going to work out at all, so she dug down as low as a person could go as a last resort. "IT'S PAPA!"

"NO!" Maka screamed, almost shooting out of her chair if it weren't for the seat-belt binding her down. Kami burst out with giggles with her sure-fire, work every time, Maka wake-up trick had once again worked wonders. Maka looked around to notice she was still in the jet and she had been done in good.

"I will probably have to face the real thing soon…"she grumbled. However deep inside she kind of did want to see her father. Despite him being so annoying, she did miss him; just a little of course. Kami stopped laughing as well when she came to the realization that she would have to see him as well most likely, and that was one of the last things she wanted to do.

"Don't worry sweetie, we just wont tell him what hotel we will be staying in."

"He KNOWS every hotel in Death City…he's taken someone at least once to every room in every hotel there." Her mum scoffed at what Maka just said, but it was probably true.

"Brace yourselves and make sure your seat-belts are firmly fastened ladies! We will be starting our decent when you're ready!" Kami put her seat-belt on and gripped the arm-rests on her chair, Maka gripping onto her arm-rests also and leaning back into the seat. The jet started to tilt forward slightly giving Maka a funny feeling in the pit of her stomach from the drop. She looked to her side where her mother was and could tell she wasn't handling the drop too well for she was looking a little under-the-weather. The sound of the plane's decent was deafening to the ear and Kami started to panic as it got closer to the ground.

"HURRY UP AND LAND THE GODDAMMED THING!" she screamed over the noise and before she knew it she felt the wheels hit the runway and the plane slow down to a stop. Maka quickly un-did her seat-belt and crouched over to where her mother was still shocked from the landing.

"I didn't know you hated planes!" Maka snickered quietly in Kami's ear. Kami un-fastened her seat-belt and arose heading towards the exit where the co-pilot was now standing.

"I'm not, it's these tiny fast jets that scare me, their decent is too swift for my taste…" the co-pilot pushed the exit open and the staircase went down with it. Below them they could see Death already awaiting their arrival with Stein by his side.

"I thought you would have brought your tea-maid with you." Kami jokily said to Death as she made her way down the steps. Death waved his big hands to her as Stein lit up a cigarette casually beside him.

"Not even a "Hey, hello there! How are you? Yes I'm healthy and so on introduction? My _maid _is in my office making me tea I hope; as he will for the rest of his life. By the way I will start with a proper introduction. Yo!" Stein rolled his eyes and fiddled with his bolt a little. Maka stepped out of the plane behind her mother and stood beside her. She gave a quick wave and a short bow to Death and Stein.

"Long time no see Lord Death, Stein!" Death clapped his hands giddily.

"See Kami, you should learn from your daughter. She is polite. No idea where she got that from. It can't have been the father that taught her that for sure." Stein let out a puff of his cigarette into the late afternoon light and watched it disappear into the atmosphere.

"Take that Mother Earth."

"And she couldn't have learnt her manners from him either…" Stein placed his cigarette on the edge of his bottom lip and put out a hand in-front of him offering a shake.

"Hello there Maka, Kami. Long time no see, for the both of you in-fact." Kami shook his hand first and then Maka, earning a lazy smile from the man. He had defiantly been affected immensely by the insanity from years ago; it was amazing he was still here to be honest. That he'd not committed suicide by trying to dissect himself or some crazy thing like that, since he already looked like he'd done that before to his body. He had some white coming through his grey hair making him appear somewhat more older and tired out than he used to look as Maka remembered him. Stein had a few new wrinkles on his forehead that she couldn't remember him having before and seemed to have darker shadows under his eyes; probably a result of all that coffee and tobacco he consumed.

"Heya Professor Stein! How's everything with teaching?" Maka tried to bring him into conversation a little and was curious on if was still allowed to be teaching after the whole Keshin ideal.

"Nah, I'm retired now, can't stand kids anymore unless I can cut them up and sell their organs." He took another hard drag on his cigarette before tossing it to his feet and rubbing it into the concrete with one foot to put it out. Maka seemed a little disappointed with his answer but figured it was for the best.

"That's a shame, you were an awesome teacher; I am privileged to have studied under you." She bowed her head respectively earning a sarcastic scoff from Stein.

"Well guys, if you don't mind that I have stalled you until it turned dark so I win a certain bet I've made, lets go to my office shall we?" Death clapped his hands to grab everyone's' attention and they all followed him out of the Death City airport and into the all too familiar city grounds.

"I'm home."

Soul got home just before dark from his day job working at the City abattoirs covered in the stink and flesh of pigs. He fiddled with his keys until he found the right one to unlock his apartment to let himself in. Half-way down the hall he had already taken off his shirt and cotton-apron ready to chuck into a bucket to soak out the blood before throwing them into the wash with the rest of his clothes later after returning from the bar; or more likely in the afternoon the next day when he wakes up. He grabbed a bucket from under the sink next to the washing-machine and placed it under the hot-water tap to fill it up. He then put a little bit of soap into the bucket while it was filling; taking off his filthy work-pants and underwear and adding it to the mix. Kind of resembled a sad attempt of Black Star's cooking he inwardly smirked to himself as he headed off for a quick shower and then to his room fully nude; since no one else was home.

He rummaged through his draws to find some decent clothes for going to the bar later tonight and came across his favorite set. Maka had bought them for him about three months before she left with her mum to travel. He remembered spotting them at a store and said he liked the pattern and style of it, looking very nineteen-thirties and cool. Then when he had wondered off and met up with Maka later, she had already bought them for him and he couldn't protest otherwise; even though he knew they cost quite a bit. They were a dark grey, almost black with fine red vertical-stripes with matching ankle-length trousers to match, however he was quite fond with wearing straight black pants with this particular shirt. It also came with a beautiful fine red silk-blend tie which he knew made him look bold and intimidating, which equaled totally cool in his mind. He slid the button-up shirt on and started buttoning it up starting with the top. After he finished, he pulled it down to straighten it and began with his tie. He could never get it right of course.

"Fuckin' tie…should have got a clip-on…" he grumbled as he terribly failed at doing it up, ending up leaving it over his shoulder like you would a towel after a long run. He then grabbed a pair of straight black trousers instead of the matching ones and put them on, grabbing his fedora that was slung over his nightstand lamp beside his bed.

"All good to go." And with that, he was out the door for his routine bar visit.

Walking down the streets of Death City at night was just as nostalgic as anything could be. Dark around every corner and dimly lit by any street-lights that hadn't been broken by little kids, or Black Star for that matter. He must have been in his twenties too so it was hard to call him a little kid. She wondered if he had grown up and matured, which flew out of her head instantly as she laughed out loud gaining a few looks from those walking with her. Like hell he would mature. He'd be one of those eighty year old men who still throw rocks through peoples' windows or hide in the bushes to jam a stick into someone's spokes of their bike just for a laugh.

"What's so funny Maka?" Kami cocked an eyebrow at her curiously. To her it just looked like a dump with a possible serial killer lurking behind every corner. She couldn't stand built up places like this.

"Nothing, just thinking to myself Mama." Kami giggled and continued to talk among the adults. Maka noticed it probably hadn't rained here in a while either for she felt sand on her lips and very dry. She was glad it was dark for it was starting to get a lot cooler quickly than when they had landed as the sun was setting; it would probably get a lot colder the later it got. She heard a noise from behind her to see a cat rummaging through some rubbish pulling up a rat in its mouth; which had led her to a train of thought to how Blair was going; or even if she was still here.

"So when will she start Lord Death? Will it be immediately or after we settle?" Kami whispered quietly between Stein and Death so no ears outside their group could hear. Stein scanned the alleys as they passed each one and didn't say much the whole trip unless he needed to. Death took a while to respond to Kami's question which let her to think it wasn't a good time to bring it up out in the open.

"Almost there everyone, just the stairs and some hallways inside the school and we can talk. Maka, would you like to go see some of your friends? Im sure none of them are asleep just yet…my son in particular." He grumbled with the last of his sentence which got questions fired at him by Maka.

"Oh why so? Has he got a girlfriend or something? How is Patty and Liz?" Death sighed and looked over towards her over his shoulder.

"He is working on a little project, probably not the best time to say hello for he might not even register your presence until weeks later once he finishes what he is doing. If you want to see how everyone is doing, then go see for yourself." Maka hesitated but inside she just wanted to bolt towards everyone's houses and barging in to see some familiar faces.

"But how about the _other_ thing I was needed for? Isn't that an urgent matter?" Kami stopped along with the others at the entrance of the DWMA building and placed both her hands on Maka's shoulders. She looked into her eyes and kissed her forehead gently.

"That can wait until tomorrow sweetie, go have fun." Maka gave her mum a great big hug and ran off back down the large flight of stairs they had just climbed, waving to those left at the doors. Her heart was racing faster than her feet were for she was so excited to see everyone.

"I'm back guys!"


	6. Chapter 6

There were signs of possible rainfall that night Soul noted as he spotted thick clouds heading over the city, giving the sky a soft-grey watercolour painting feeling. There were a few stars out flecked across the sky evenly like street-lights, but at fire-fly size of course. The buildings he passed still smelled of garbage and urine as they had every night he had made his way down this regular rut of his towards his only form of "entertainment" for the day.

He could already hear the music and ruckus before he could see the bar in sight. He bent his neck to one side until it made a cracking noise and stretched one arm over his chest, taking turns with the other as he approached the building. He stopped at the door and gave a sigh before he let himself through the doors. The bouncer hadn't even asked him for identification due to him being such a regular customer as he waltzed on in and found himself perched on his favorite bar-stool.

"Heya Soul! Bout time you got here!" Patty slapped his back. Kim and Ox were behind her with Liz and what looked to be Jacqueline also.

"It's only been open for an hour for god's sake; I don't wait at the door like you bunch of alcoholics. So who's the sober one tonight?" Soul lifted his head coolly, giving a half-assed wave of one hand to say hello to the company before him. Kirikou made his way up to where they were all situated at and ordered a drink from the bartender.

"Well it won't be me, I've had a few drinks before even coming here, and getting drunk at a bar just costs too much for my liking." Kirikou handed some coins over to the bartender, receiving his tall glass of what appeared to be some sort of stout; very dark in colour.

"You're just as bad as Soul when it comes to drinking you know." Kim scoffed at him while he sipped all the bubbles from the edge of his glass. He put it down and waved a hand at her argueably.

"At least I don't complain while I drink and make all those around me depressed. I'm a reasonable guy and know when I'm at my limits. No offence by the way."

"None taken." Soul was approached by Lou who lowered his spectacles as he leaned in towards him casually.

"I see you're back here again. Jail cooled your head I spose?" Soul snickered and placed some change on the counter, which was taken by Lou and counted.

"The usual?" he stated more rather than questioned. He grabbed a short glass and put some ice in the bottom before tipping some strong smelling alcohol in to join it.

"That stuff makes your breath stink man, girls won't like that." Ox stated as he placed a palm around Kim's waist possessively showing off that he had something Soul didn't; which got on his nerves a little.

"And what are you drinking then?" Soul spouted at him, showing a little irritation in his voice. Ox adjusted his glasses and ran his hand through his short-rough hair before answering.

"I'm not; it will be lemon-lime bitters for me tonight. I'm driving the girls and Kirikou home tonight. I don't want to be thrown into jail for DUI or something like that; jail is for losers am I right?" Yet another cruel jab at Soul's ribs with a metaphorical electrical spear. Soul took the rest of his glass in and swallowed quickly, feeling the burn of the spirits go down his throat and into the pit of his stomach.

"You'd better stop your attitude now while I am just beginning, if you continue after I have a few more we will be taking this outside you scrawny little prick. You don't kick a man while he's down, it's uncool." Kim wandered off with Patty from boredom to find Black Star at a round table with Sid. Sid wasn't a regular visitor to the bar but often came for the company of his ex-students.

"I was a bold drinker when I was alive." Sid told to no one in particular. Black Star looked at his glass of clear liquid and cocked an eyebrow.

"That's water isn't it?" he questioned as Sid drank the whole lot in one gulp.

"I said I was when I was alive…" Black Star nodded his head in a "oh ok" sort of manner and continued babbling on to Tsubaki beside him who was slowly working her way through a cup of hot chips.

"Can I have one Tsubaki?" he asked loudly going off topic with whatever he was previously talking about. Tsubaki handed the cup to him and let him take a few out before getting it handed back to her.

"You should have savored yours, if you want more, you can walk down to Reggie's." Patty pulled up a chair beside Black Star and slammed a large glass of beer on the table spilling a bit from the impact.

"Whatchu doin'?" she asked in a rather pleasant volume, which would rise later in the night in par with the consumption of alcohol taken. Liz came from behind holding three drinks carefully and placed two in-front of Black Star and Tsubaki; keeping the last one for herself.

"Just chattin'. Sid was saying that they are looking for a new teacher and might just have one fly in soon to start. Spreading hundreds of students across so few teachers just isn't working so well…" Patty lost track or interest as she stared into her glass ambitiously whilst consuming the whole drink without taking a breather. Tsubaki rolled her eyes and placed her elbows on the table in a bored manner.

"Don't worry Tsubaki, I'm sure no one really cares but you. Don't take it personally." Liz made her way around the table and sat next to her and Sid. Tsubaki glared at Liz's drink and then at Liz's face.

"Do you plan on getting off your face again? This is your second one and we've only been here an hour." Liz laughed out loud and took a good half of her drink down making Tsubaki feel a little irritable.

"It's been an hour? That's terrible!"

"I agree."

"By now I should be on my forth or fifth one! I might last a while if I continue at two drinks an hour. I still have to see you wasted. How bout you get yourself a drink?"

"Even if I wanted to, I have to stay tight on money. Black Star should be doing the same. I'm going to tell the bartender to put him off tap soon so we don't go broke…" Liz let out a heavy sigh and gave Tsubaki a slap on the back reassuringly.

"Don't worry girl, I'll pitch in if you ever need money desperately and I'm sure Kid would too since he is that loaded. Just enjoy yourself tonight hey? My star-sign told me something awesome will happen tonight."

"You don't actually believe in that stuff do you? You know people pull it out of their asses every morning just so people have something to read in the newspaper? Liz finished her drink and clicked her fingers at a passing waitress carrying a platter of empty glasses.

"Two shots of sambooka black ey!" she signaled two fingers to the waitress and she left with her glass to the counter to get her drinks.

"Of course not, but it's fine to see if they come true. They sometimes are so close to being word by word to the readings that I find it creepy. Seeing you drunk for that matter would make today's horoscope come true for me for sure!" Tsubaki pushed Liz's shoulder with one hand and snorted.

"I won't get drunk, its very un-lady like. And besides, it gets people into trouble. Take Soul and Patty for instance. Soul got thrown into jail 'cos he couldn't run away from the cops, and Patty just does dumb things in general when she is off her face."

"Even when she is sober she is off her face…what's the difference? And Soul had only been to jail once and it wasn't his fault but the fully sober King of Justice sitting next to you; of no fault of alcohol but stupidity." The waitress placed two shot-glasses in-front of Liz and she gave the lady the exact change for her order. Liz pushed one glass to Tsubaki.

"I'm not drinking that you know." Tsubaki glared at the blackish-blue liquid residing in the tiny glass. She could smell it but couldn't place what it had reminded it her of.

"Aww c'mon, you'll like this one. It tastes like licorice! You just need to drink it quickly; I won't make you have anymore if you don't want to. Please?" Tsubaki picked it up with her thumb and forefinger and held it to her mouth to be stopped by Liz. "Nah ah, at the same time as me 'kay!" Liz held her own up to her lips and put her other hand up with three fingers erect. She started a count down, when she had all her fingers into a fist they both drank the shots at the same time. Tsubaki didn't swallow instantly and kept it in her sealed mouth for a while before reluctantly swallowing it.

"Nice ey?" Liz slammed her glass down on the table and let out a content sigh. Tsubaki was still twisting her face trying to get over the full impact of what she had just done.

"It's terribly strong…but."

"Like I just said, nice ey?" Tsubaki had to admit it had a pleasant flavour, but figured it would have been nicer if she had swallowed it quickly like Liz had told her to.

"I want to try that one again, I didn't drink it quick enough so I think I did it wrong." Liz quickly got up from the table and dragged Tsubaki with her to the counter.

"That's the spirit ma' girl! The newspaper hasn't failed me yet!"

While they were both off, Black Star, Sid and Patty all looked dumbfounded at what they had just saw.

"Di, did Tsubaki just willingly drink…alcohol?" Sid questioned to break the silence among them. He stood up from his seat and brushed his clothes as if they were dirty. "I'd better take my leave then. I may have been a partying kind of guy when I was alive, but I'm passed that now. Don't do anything too rash now will you both?" Black Star placed his arms behind his head casually while Patty still watched her sister and Tsubaki at the counter as Liz managed to get another shot down Tsubaki's throat.

"O'course we wont Sid, who do you take me for? It's her you should be worried about…"

"Yeah, the first time drunk is the WORST time drunk…" Sid said with a wise tone. He then waved good-bye and made his way to the exit.

"HA HA HA! TSUBAKI IS IN FOR IT NOW!" Patty shot up from her seat to join the rest as Black Star sat by hiself at the table now with nothing but an empty cup of what used to have chips inside.

"He he, this is going to an awesome night, I'd better be sober enough to watch this…"

Soul finished his current glass and stood up from his bar-stool cracking his fingers in-front of him. Kirikou, Kim and Ox had moved from a few groups of people situated throughout the bar and had finally made their way over to the other end of the counter where a lot of the noise was coming from.

"Sounds like some sort of drinking game going on over there." Soul said to Lou who was still loyally chatting with him and wiping the bench down with a damp cloth. He tugged on his bow-tie so it was even and looked over to where all the commotion was.

"Lucy told me some so-called non-drinker is taking shots, so all her friends are edging her on or something. Poor girl won't know what hits her later on tonight hey? Ha I can still remember my first night on the booze; wasn't pretty mind you." Soul scratched his chest slowly and turned his back towards the counter, leaning on it lazily.

"I'll find out later, I need to exercise my fingers now. You can bring me a free drink if you like while I tune the piano from whatever last idiot would have used it last night." The bartender let out a sarcastic snicker.

"And why would you deserve a free drink?" Soul pushed his fedora back so he could see a little more from under its rim and smiled wickedly.

"Because all of your female customers will be arriving soon to hear me play, which should earn a drink on the house now shouldn't it?" Lou looked over to the door which had indeed opened, bringing in three young women all eagerly looking over the crowd towards the stage. One smiled and turned to the others to whisper something to them and they had all looked over in Soul's direction and waved.

"Alright then, you go run along and play now and I'll fetch you a drink." Lou grabbed a glass and started to wipe it out as Soul headed towards the stage and sat at the piano. Once again it looked superbly polished and untouched; just how he liked it.

"Let's hear you sing to me now."

Maka was power-walking down a footpath of Death City. She'd forgotten to ask if everybody had still lived in their same apartments, or where they would be at least this time of night. She made her way towards her and Soul's place from when she was still living in the City; hoping he would be there having dinner or something. She reached the bottom of the apartment and started climbing the flight of stairs until she hit the top floor where she had once lived. There was no light shining underneath the door.

"He never liked the light on anyway…" she said to herself softly. Her heart was racing as she tried to pluck up the courage to knock on the door. She lifted up her hand and tapped it firmly with her forefinger's knuckle three times. No response.

"Maybe he is asleep. I'll try again." She gave another three knocks but louder this time.

"Honey, that young man isn't ever home at this time. Are you looking for him?" a familiar feminine voice from behind her said politely. She turned around to ponder at a small black cat sitting on the rail behind her. It started licking one paw and looked up at Maka squinting at her face.

"You look like someone I know sweetie. Are you Soul's new girlfriend?" Maka's eyes lit up as she picked up the cat and hugged it tightly.

"BLAIR!" she almost crushed the cat into her breasts from the impact earning some claws to dig into her; loosening her grip so the cat could jump back onto the rail.

"Should warn someone before you go and grab them like that. Wait, is that you…Maka? I didn't recognize you with boobs, or your height. And you have such pretty hair now! When did you get here?" Blair was popping out questions before Maka could answer them for her. Maka petted Blair behind the ears tenderly as Blair quieted down and started purring happily.

"It's good to see a familiar face, even if it is you I spose…so Soul still lives here?" Blair lifted her head up as Maka stroked the fur on her neck right up to her chin.

"Yeah he does. But if you're going to wait for him here, you'd better be willing to wait until the early hours of the morning."

"Where is he? Is he out with someone?" Maka's heart sunk at the thought of that, but perhaps maybe he was working…hopefully.

"Nah, he is as a pub place just down the road there, he is often there with a few of the others you knew from school. So if you're lucky, you might get to see a lot more faces than just mine tonight." Blair gave a long stretch with her bottom up in the air and her claws almost glowed in contrast with her almost invisible black coat. "They don't allow cats there for some reason, but are more than willing to let me in when I look like a human…it's soooo mean!"

"So where is this place Blair?" Blair sat up and looked at Maka's shoulder before leaping up to perch there. Maka winced as she felt her fine pin-like claws prick her skin.

"Not too far, just listen to where I tell you to go. I can't read the name of the sign but it is lit up with all flashy lights from the outside!" Maka knew esactly where she was talking about now. She remembered Soul telling her once he was old enough, he would go to that place every night because it was classy. She also remembered telling him that she didn't want him to turn into an alcoholic and chase lots of women like her father would.

"You mean Louie's?" she said to Blair as they made their way down the flight of stairs to the bottom. Blair yawned and adjusted herself to Maka's other shoulder.

"So that's what the sign says…I knew it started with an L. Well fancy that then." Blair emitted a loud "meow" with another yawn. "Though I won't go in with you, I'm not in the mood for noise tonight. And there is some tom-cat waiting patiently for me somewhere I'm not sure of just yet. Pure-bred Russian blue, me-oooow!"

"Well you haven't changed for sure…" Maka mumbled quietly under her breath. The street was other-wise quiet apart from a slow approaching tune as they got closer and closer to the bar. It was a very nostalgic tune that she couldn't put her finger on. Then it hit her.

"That's Soul's song."


	7. Chapter 7

Now Gentlemen, and ladies, we have come to discuss an important issue." Death stood at the end of a dinner table in his office with Stein to his left, Kami to his right and Stein's current assistant and weapon, Marie seated next to Stein. There were a few empty seats around the table as if waiting for others to arrive. Stein went to take out a cigarette, only to have it confiscated by Death and placed next to a cup away from Stein.

"Aww come on Lord Death, I only have two left." Stein whined as he stared intently at his untouched cigarette lying on the table near Death. Death ignored him and continued.

"Since all of the Death-Scythes have returned to their current locations around the world, apart from Marie who decided to stay as a teacher for DWMA, we are running low on teachers for our incoming students of today. But that is not all we are gathered here to discuss toni…" 

"Did I miss anything?" the doors burst open and Spirit entered huffing which suggested he had ran to get there. Behind him was Sid with one palm over his face ashamed. They both came in and approached the table to take a seat. Spirit grabbed a chair and sat down clueless of who he had just sat next to.

"Do you mind? I'd rather the rotting corpse next to me than you, switch seats please." Kami sternly hissed to Spirit, who turned his head quickly to soak up her appearance with his ever so glassy eyes. "Plus you smell like you've been drinking…as usual."

"HONEY PUFF! Y,you, YOU'RE HERE? WHERE IS OUR MUFFIN? OH SWEETIE I MISSED YOU!" He opened his arms to give her a large bear hug only to get a beating with the closest object Kami could find on the table, being Death's full steaming tea-cup. The glass shattered from the impact, and the hot steaming liquid found its way all down Spirit's hair, face and chest making him let out a horrible yelp of pain.

"MY TEA!"

"IT BURNS!"

"My ears…" grumbled Stein as he quickly reached over to the table while Death was preoccupied with the loss of his beverage and grabbed his cigarette that had previously been taken from him, slipping it between his lips and lighting it up. Sid banged his forehead onto the table-top in humiliation from the scene unfolding in-front of his eyes. To top it off Mira Nygus sat next to him without anyone acknowledging her arrival or presence. Sid groaned irritably and turned his head sideways so he could face Nygus to speak.

"Just in time for someone mature to step forward." Nygus didn't seem to be effected at all by the commotion.

"What's this? A reunion call or something? Is Kami the one we are going to have to fill in for Professor Stein?"

"SIIIILENCE!" Death yelled over Spirit and Kami's squabbling. "Spirit, leave Kami alone for now and pay attention, and Kami, you will not have him removed so put up with him for now. This is all getting somewhat ridiculous and we haven't even started! And someone get me a cup of tea this instant!" The room went completely silent and everyone sat straight with their hands on the table layered on-top of the other. Spirit's eyes wondered to Kami's hands and then up her arms, her shoulders, her neck, and then down to her breasts…

"Please, behave yourself." Kami whispered aggressively as to not get Lord Death's attention.

"Now, one would think that since the Keshin is now dead, that there wouldn't be any need for DWMA to still recruit students. Well, despite Asura being the main cause of the rise in bad souls and the higher numbers of witches, there is another we have to worry about. Surely you would all not think that out of the billions of people in the world, that there would only be ONE totally evil little bugger out there." Stein took a long drag of his cigarette and blew the smoke out with a heavenly expression on his face. Marie snatched the cigarette from his lips and butted it out on the floor with her foot angrily.

"Pay attention will ya…" she glared at him as she spoke quietly into his ear. Stein's lip dropped sadly.

"We still have plenty of witches out there, a number of them rising to power due to two of the Gorgan sisters being exterminated, fighting over who will rise as leaders in their little cult groups. We also have various powerful Weapons and Meisters out there still just waiting for a chance to strike. As all of you should know by now, some of our troops across the world have been slowly picked off. We don't know who the cause of this but we have personnel investigating it thoroughly as we speak."

"And we can't have all of our Death-Scythes here in Death City due to the outbreak of criminals being around the world in other continents, which has cut down our teaching staff by quite a number." Stein stated, reaching into his trench-coat pocked and pulling out his last cigarette.

"Exactly. This is where both Kami and Maka come in handy. It was perfect timing when Kami contacted me for I had absolutely no idea where she was so I could ask her. A week before would have been better but now is better than never." Death placed his elbows on the table and aligned all his fingers so they touched their opposites of the other hand, forming a triangle shape.

"And I cannot risk leaving the school to investigate due to the students here need a nurse twenty-four seven. Which also excludes Sid, as my Meister to leave the school as well." Nygus said calmly, both Stein and Death nodded in par to her statement.

"I am more than willing to stay in the school to teach the children, but shouldn't I, since I am a complete Death-Scythe, be out on the investigation also?" Marie cut in before Death could speak again. Death gave a small pause to think.

"That is true, but it will be good to have at least one Death Scythe situated in the City incase we have troubles."

"What about me m'Lord?" Spirit spoke up. All eyes were on him which made him uncomfortable. He then looked at Stein who was smiling menacingly at him.

"You can always stay here as my guinea-pig." Stein joked, and then yelped as Marie stepped on his foot under the table with one of her high-heels.

"You will be going out to investigate Spirit. We only need one Death-Scythe in the City, and Stein will be with Marie." Kami gulped for she knew exactly where this was going to go.

"But Sir! Who will weild Spirit? You cannot possibly leave Death City, you are bound here!" Sid bursted out, slamming the table with his large fists. Nygus slowly turned her head in Kami's direction and half closed her eyes; almost as if glaring at her.

"She will won't she?" the whole room went silent except for a light snicker from Death. Both Spirit and Kami were dumbfounded and turned to look at eachother.

"Y, you can't possibly expect me to wield him! Our wavelengths can't possibly match anymore!" Spirit cringed as if he were just hit with a stick and were in pain.

"You will, he was your partner once, you will find a way to match your wavelengths and make this work. It is for the sake of everyone else. Stop being selfish and reason with us here." Stein lit his cigarette that had been waiting patiently on the edge of his lip and he inhaled; taking in the foul-bitter taste of the tobacco. "If I can match my wavelength perfectly with any weapon within a few minutes of combat, even if I don't particularly like them," he glanced over to Spirit as he said this. "or had just met them," he then glanced over to Marie. "I'm sure you can too Kami. You are the most talented Meister I've ever met. I'm sure you have some tricks up your sleeves to get him to work efficiently."

"We will give you one week to practice your wavelengths to get them right before sending you both out on a mission. So you'd better start ignoring each others' flaws." Death firmly declared. Spirit started to fiddle with his shirt a little with discomfort, which Kami noticed Maka did quite a lot when she was trying to beat around the bush to tell her something that was possibly embarrassing or that could get her in trouble. She inwardly smiled and noted she would have to tell him that later to brighten him up to hopefully make wavelength synchronization easier; since just saying he had something in common with his daughter would make him happy.

"Y, yes Sir."

"Yes Lord Death."

"Good. Now that we have that settled, I would like to ask why we need Maka." Marie asked courteously in Death's direction.

"Fine question Marie. Since Stein, Kami and Maka all have exceptional wavelength deception skills, we need her to pin-point us some of these criminals that are taking out our experienced students. And to wield our other Death Scythe of course."

"Soul Eater Evens I presume?" Kami inquired.

"Indeed. However we won't resort to using them unless we are in desperate need to do so. Kami and Spirit will suffice until otherwise. She will instead work here at the school as a teacher to fill in the space of Stein." Spirit's eyes widened and he proudly puffed out his chest like a peacock.

"Of course my little pumpkin would serve a better role as an educator, she could teach all of the students single handedly!" Sid scoffed at his comment and looked directly at Spirit from across the table.

"As confident as you are with her ability, no one person could teach hundreds of students in one room, let alone fit that many into one. However she also will need some tutoring on how to teach in a classroom environment yes?" Nygus nodded agreeably.

"Indeed. She most would have tutored friends individually during her school years, but classrooms from twenty to fifty students maximum will be a completely different experience for her." Stein sucked the last out of his cigarette and chucked it onto the floor. He didn't even bother stepping on it.

"That is where I come in you see. I will accompany her during her first few days of teaching, until she gets a handle on things. Simple yes?" everyone nodded agreeably. Death clapped his hands to gain all of their attention instantly.

"So it's all settled now ey? We will start Spirit and Kami's wavelength training tomorrow morning and Stein will take Maka in for teaching the students at third period for the physical lesson to start off with. The rest of you will do as you normally would, but please do keep an eye out for suspicious behavior. You are all dismissed now. BAI BAI!" Kami rolled her eyes at Death for she knew his seriousness wouldn't hold out through the whole meeting. She then cringed inwardly as she figured she was up for an irritable morning and most likely a horrible sleep to go with it. However when she looked to Spirit he didn't seem at all angry; which made her annoyed even further.

"Oh I so hope he behaves himself…"

"Darling, you got the goods?" The alley was dark as a tall skinny figure held a knife up to the throat of another. The man could barely speak as she pointed the knife closer to his throat until he could feel it pierce his skin. "I don't want to have to keel you noaw sweetie. Hand them ovar."

"Ye, ye, yes m'lady, r, r, right away!" the man backed off from her and bent down slowly keeping an ever watchful eye on the dark figure towering over him; the blade flickered the moonlight into his eyes warning him to hurry up. He lifted a cardboard box from a heap of trash behind him to expose a large black suitcase. The lady kicked him aside before he could pick it up and went on her knees herself to flick the clips up herself. Inside lay piles of cash that spilled over the edges when she had opened the suitcase. The woman hissed and kicked it aside aggressively.

"I didn't ask for cash you eediot! Where is the vials I asked for? I vill keel you where you lay you filthy animal!" the man stuttered as she drew closer towards him and grabbed the scruff of his shirt and lifted him up from the debris on the ground.

"D, don't fret m'lady, tha cash were jus' a cover up incase it wa' found. It's in there I promise!" the woman threw the man back down into the garbage and rummaged through the suitcase throwing the money everywhere. The man's eyes widened as he watched the cash flutter in-front of his eyes. The woman gasped as she lifted up a vial of what appeared to be a black liquid inside a thin-long glass tube. She held it up to the light of the moon and rotated it to see all its glory.

"Only von? Darling, I asked for more than this…"

"I was attacked when I received them vials and lost tha otha' two. I'm truly sorry Madam Tanya. I can get dem back if you want!" Tanya walked over to the man and stood over him. If it were lighter, he would have got a full view up her dress but he was more scared than anything to even think of that right now.

"No, von will do Darling. But you…I do not need no more." She lifted her knife to her eye level and ran her finger along the tip down to the base of the handle. The man scurried to his feet in a sad attempt to escape, nearly running into the wall before heading down into the darkness of the alley.

"Don't hurt me you crazy bitch!" the man screamed out as he continued to run. Tanya smiled wickedly showing all her teeth and mumbled under her breath.

"Tiger, tigris, panther, panthera…" the knife floated from her grip and disappeared down into the darkness where the man had run. She waited until she heard a series of screams not long afterwards followed by the roars of an animal. She stood in the alleyway waiting while rubbing her tongue along her fangs. A shadow came towards her from where the man had gone and an animal figure approached her.

"All evidence has been…cleaned up Tanya." The beast spoke. Tanya stroked its hand and ran her hand down its back. She walked over to a large garbage bin and opened its heavy metal lid, then went to close up the suitcase and throw it inside.

"Indeed it has, and zings shall be getting more interesting from now on my Darling." The beast looked all over the ground at the money that had littered the filth bellow.

"What about all of this? Isn't it all a little suspicious?" Tanya looked into the alley and scoffed, and went back to stroking the creature's head.

"There are greedy eyes all avound us Darling. It will be cleaned up by morning for sure. Let us go, I have something I must attend to now." The animal morphed into the same small knife she was wielding before and slid it under her dress where it hooked onto her garter strap on her upper-thigh.


	8. Chapter 8

Maka stood eagerly outside of the pub's doors, frozen stiff with excitement. Blair leaped off her shoulders and onto the footpath wit her tail curled as she made her way off into the dark. Maka placed her hands shakily on the large double wooden doors and pushed it open to let herself in. The music inside was much louder than it had been while she was walking down the street, and she made her way through the large crowds of people to find a place to sit where she could see whoever was playing. She kept her eyes in the general direction of the music, trying to see over the tall heads to spot who that was seated in-front of the piano playing that nostalgic tune. Her heart berated faster as she got closer. She could see some of the piano and a figure wearing a hat playing it through the thick crowd of what mostly seemed like women as she drew in closer.

"Excuse me ma'am, pardon me, let me through…" she whispered as she squeezed between bodies that reluctantly moved aside for her; grumbling curses under their breaths most likely aimed towards Maka. And there she stood at the edge of the stage, staring directly at her mystery pianist. "It is him." She gasped. He didn't notice her watching him play throughout the whole song as he had kept his eyes on the keys in-front of him. He looked so professional sitting there, touching just the right key for the right sound without little thought whatsoever. She found herself humming the tune as it played and knew it was about to finish soon. Soul had reached the climax of the song and slowed it right down for its finish. The chattering arose again among the women and men in the bar but only one person applauded. Soul looked out into the crowd to spot a singular woman in the front smiling gracefully as she clapped her hands for him and he smiled. He looked back to his piano and then back at the woman quickly with wide-eyes.

"WAIT! MAKA?" Soul shot up from the bench he was sitting on and made his way to the edge of the stage pointing at Maka dumbfounded. Maka looked around awkwardly as people started to stare and whisper, mentioning Soul's name along with other words. "Wh, what are you doing here?"

"Not even a hello? That is so typical of you. Too cool for even a "Hey" now are you?" Maka said without thinking, mentally slapping herself at how rude that must have sounded. Soul scoffed and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry, I was just a little shocked. You've just been gone for so long, and wow you look different…" Soul's eyes wavered up and down her body, stopping at her chest for a longer period than he had the rest of her. Maka rolled her eyes and backhanded him to cut off his deep concentration of the human mammary gland.

"I did say I was coming back to visit don't you remember?"

"Yeah, nearly five years ago and this is your first visit…"

"I'm here now! And it hasn't been five years yet, give it four and seven months."

"Close enough. I thought you weren't going to come back though. I thought you were angry at me."

"What makes you think that? I was never angry at you!" Maka was starting to steam up by this sudden accusation by Soul. She found him also getting aggressive in defense of his own words as she fought against them.

"Before you left we fought about the washing remember? Didn't that make you want to leave?" Maka bursted out laughing, almost spitting all over Soul. He watched her with a raised eye-brow now unsure of what was so funny.

"Noooooo, that's not why I left you big dope. I left because I wanted to spend time with Mama. Pffft your washing didn't even cross my mind when I decided to go with her. All this time you thought I left Death City because of that? Cut me some slack!" Soul was relieved by her response and let out a heavy sigh. "Anyway now that we have that settled, we have a lot to catch up on, and I want to meet the others too."

"Heya guys! Soul's talking to some babe!" a loud voice bellowed over the bar. Maka stood on her tippy-toes to see where the voice was coming from. Soul face-palmed and grabbed Maka's wrist leading her towards the general direction of the voice.

"Now's your chance to say hello to them too…" Soul muttered into her ear, and he sat down on a bar-stool at the counter. Black Star came out of the crowd and put his hand out to Maka.

"EEEYYY! You look like a familiar face! Have you arrested me before?" Maka snorted and took his hand into a shake. Liz leaned out from behind Black Star and stared blankly at her.

"Maka? Hey girl you're back! But you have to soooo come and see this…it's so funny man!" Maka tilted her head to the side and looked back to Soul who seemed also curious as to what Liz had just said.

"It's Tsubaki right? How she going with her first real night now so far?" Soul stated, figuring that was what Liz was carrying on about. Liz snickered wickedly and gave a thumbs-up.

"She is soooo wasted guys. Catching up time can wait until later, this is a one time occurrence and must be seen right now!" They all got up and followed Liz to the end of the bar-counter to find Tsubaki downing shots in the corner with people cheering around her.

"FUCK MAN THE TABLE IS MOVING!" Tsubaki roared as she missed the table with her current shot-glass and dropped it on the floor smashing it. Patty broke out into hysterics, slapping the table in either an attempt to keep herself upright or just because she could.

"THAT'S COS TABLES HAVE LEGS YOU IDIOT! EVERYONE KNOWS THAT!" They both laughed together in their own land of fermenting yeast as everyone else clapped at her feat of cleaning off her last drink. Maka was astonished that out of all the people she knew, that Tsubaki would be the one to put herself in a position like this.

"This looks like something you would do Black Star…" Maka quietly stated to Black Star who was standing next to her in as much amazement as her.

"I stopped drinking when she started so I could remember this. I'm pretty sober right now. I think she beats even I, the Great Ninja King of the World when it comes to drinking." Soul let out a sarcastic snicker.

"You're a lightweight, admit it." Black Star blew out his nostrils and gave a disapproving glare at Soul.

"Na-ahh! I just put it on to make people think that."

"That's good fake vomit then." Liz smartly cut in to make Black Star stop to think for a little, not speaking up again.

"So this is what you guys get up to when I'm gone…I've been missing out on so much." Maka sighed. Soul placed a hand on the top of her head and laughed.

"If you were here, you would have been so uncool and forbidden us to drink like this." Maka playfully shoved Soul aside with one hand.

"You'd all be better off if I did that. You all seem to look like you will need new livers by the time you all reach thirty." Lou came over to where Soul stood and tapped his shoulder.

"Hey you already done playing for the night? You just started!" Soul leaned over the counter on one elbow casually and said in a quiet tone so only Lou would hear.

"Can you do me a favour old boy?" Lou adjusted his spectacles and looked pass Soul to see Maka standing beside him.

"Got a nice little lady there Evans."

"A drink for the lady please." Soul cut in before Lou could speak further. Lou lifted his head up and looked over at Maka.

"Hey Miss, whaddya like for tonight?" Maka spun her head around to notice Soul standing with a tidily dressed man she figured was someone who worked at the bar.

"Oh I don't drink sir! Don't mind me at all!" Lou took off his glasses and wiped them with a little white cloth before placing them back up onto his nose.

"Aww c'mon now, this handsome fellow just shouted you one! You have to take it now or that would be just rude! So what will it be?" She glanced over to Soul who tilted his hat back with a big toothy grin. Charming she thought.

"Well I don't know any drink names…" Maka mumbled. Soul whispered something to the bartender.

"I have just the thing for you m'dear." The man grabbed a tall glass and put some ice in the bottom. He then grabbed a bottle with a pretty green liquid instead; pouring just a small amount into the bottom. He then filled the rest up to the top with another clean liquid with bubbles. "You'll like this one." He handed the glass over to Maka who stared into it shyly.

"It's not strong is it?" Soul laughed together with Lou which made Maka pout angrily.

"Nah, it tastes just like a lolly. Trust me." Maka watched the bubbles slowly waft up to the top of the glass and shook it a little to make the ice do circles. She lifted the glass to her lips and took a sip.

"It's sweet! What is it?" She drank a bit more and giggled very girlishly. She bartender filled another glass with a dark amber liquid and handed it to Soul.

"It's a popular cocktail drink called Midori. You mix it with lemonade just like cordial. I figured you'd like it." She looked over to Soul's drink as she took a sip from the somewhat shorter glass. She put her glass on the bench and put her hand out to his.

"Can I try yours?" Maka questioned innocently. Soul grinned and handed her his drink.

"You won't like this one, it is very strong." But before he could finish, Maka too a big gulp and gave a twisted face in return, trying not to cough it back up.

"That's horrible stuff! How can you drink that?" she gasped as she grabbed her own drink and took a few large gulps in to take out the flavor. The bartender then bursted out into laugher.

"It's an alcoholic's drink Sweetie, you don't have to worry about trying horrible drinks like that, stick to the ones you enjoy and you'll be fine." Maka smirked at Soul and cocked and eyebrow.

"Ahh so Soul is THAT kind of person now is he?" the ruckus behind her was getting louder and the sound of glass hitting the floor started, making everyone turn around to see what was happening. Tsubaki ran her arm across the table, knocking everything that was on it onto the ground and stood up leaning against the wall behind her.

"Maaaaan I feel…sick. I think I'm going to…"Liz stopped Tsubaki from falling forward and lead her down the wall with Patty towards the ladies' bathroom. Kim skipped behind them to help out with Patty who wasn't doing so good herself either.

"Here comes the first round!" Liz announced from inside the bathroom, while coughs emitted from behind the door. Everyone else watched the door patiently, before going back to talking among themselves as they were before.

"She's going to see Ralph." Said Black Star, squeezing in-between Soul and Maka who were quietly chatting at the bar. Maka looked at him strangely.

"Who's Ralph?" Maka asked curiously.

"Well what sound do you make when you vomit?" Maka took a while to think and acted out in her head from when she vomited when she was sick last.

"Ooooh, you sound like you are saying Ralph hey!" they both laughed as they heard another loud bout of coughing and vomiting from the bathroom. Ox came over as well and sat on a stool near Maka, twirling on it so he was facing the centre of their "circle".

"Hey I see you are back! How'd you enjoy your little trip?" Soul rolled his eyes and took another sip of his drink distastefully from having Ox join in the conversation; due to his rudeness before in the night.

"It was relaxing, time flew so quickly! But I am so glad I am back, everyone has changed so much, well not really I spose…" she glanced over to Black Star figuring out of everyone he seemed the most like he was before she left.

"We didn't even get to throw you a Goodbye party, so we should at least do a Welcoming party for you. By the way, where are you staying tonight?"

"Wow you're quick Ox, but don't you have a girlfriend?" Soul scoffed, earning a venomous glare from both Ox and Maka.

"He was being polite. Well I actually was planning on staying at my old apartment; if it's ok with Soul. Other than that I didn't get any hotel names from Mama for me to wait at. But you don't have to throw a party for me, I'm here for work by the sounds of it, so I probably won't have time for that." Soul placed his glass down and listened intently to what she was saying.

"For work, that means you're staying for good right?" Black Star cut in. Despite how slow he was at time, he was on the same train of thought as Soul was.

"Probably, or at least for some time. I've been asked to teach at the school until they get a new teacher or something to fill in the gap." Ox smiled happily and touched one of her hands.

"Hey, I'm currently teaching there myself. Been doing so for one year now! You'll fit right on in as a teacher I'm sure."

"Yeah, the students won't know what hit 'em…there are many books in a classroom environment that you might end up killing some poor kid on your first day." Soul remarked. Maka lifted her empty glass and hit the top of his scalp with the bottom. Soul yelped, took off his hat and rubbed his new injury over with his hands. "That's exactly what I meant! She is so easily aggravated this one." Black Star laughed loudly, rubbing his sides as he watched Soul's pain. Kim came out of the ladies' bathroom and headed over to Ox. She wrapped one of her arms around one of his and whispered something into his ear.

"We might need you to drive us home early, Tsubaki isn't doing to well." Ox stood up and waved to Maka, Black Star and Soul.

"Sorry but we will have to continue this at a later date, I must take my leave now. Would you both like a lift as well? I have plenty of room in my car." Before Maka could say anything Soul quickly intervened.

"Nah we are fine for now, you take the girls home safely. We'll see you around man."

"No problem. By the way, have you seen Kirikou? He was here a while ago wasn't he?" Maka hadn't noticed Kirikou at all and Soul shrugged his shoulders signaling that he didn't know.

"He might have gone home by himself when he had enough, he is a responsible drinker like that. Well, cya later!" Kim dragged Ox off toward the ladies' bathroom door where Tsubaki was being held up by both Liz and Patty waiting. They then made their way out of the bar and were gone from sight. Black Star yelled out as he'd noticed they left without him.

"Heeeey wait for me!" and he was speeding out of the door like as if his ass was on fire. Maka looked around the bar quietly and smiled tenderly.

"It's a lot more peaceful now that the noise is gone." Soul smirked as he'd just cleaned out his last drink, holding his palm up to the bartender who was just about to refill it.

"That was my last one; I want to be able to walk her home safely tonight." Lou nodded and placed his glass in a pile of which Maka had guessed were used glasses that needed to be cleaned.

"That's a first Evans." He muttered under his breath, but Maka hadn't heard him.

"What time is it Lou?" Soul asked. Lou checked his watch on his wrist and started to wipe down the bench in-front of him.

"Only quarter-pass ten. The night is still young. Still got another hour before closing." Maka was too lost in soaking in the bar environment than to listen to Soul and the bartender talking. She now knew why Soul had said that he liked this place so much; it suited him just like the clothes he was wearing. Her train of thought led her to looking at his attire to realize that they were the clothes she bought him.

"Hey is that the shirt I bought you? Where are the trousers?" Maka questioned, side-tracking Soul from his current conversation with Lou. Wile Soul went to answer Maka, Lou crept away to leave them alone.

"Uhh yeah it is. Oh I like these pants better; the matching pair kind of makes me look like I'm wearing my PJ's." Maka chuckled and leaned over the counter on one elbow facing Soul. Her Breasts slightly showed under the button-up top she was wearing, and with the dim lights above made them stand out even more prominently; total eye-candy for Soul.

"Well it's good to know you are actually wearing them. They were a little big when I first bought them though, but look at you now! A perfect fit I see." He had grown a lot taller from when she had last seen him, taller than her. He filled out a little as well which made her wonder if he took up some sort of sport other than basketball to make him keep trim. Nah he was too lazy to go out of his way to work out she thought.

"What can I say? It's a comfortable fabric! And it makes me look dashing of course."

"You do actually." She affirmed.

"Wha, wait, I was being sarcastic!" Soul stuttered. Maka giggled and gave a casual half-smile putting him in an awkward position.

"Umm so I'm guessing you are here with your mother?" Soul went off topic to get out of where their conversation was heading, much to Maka's disappointment as she puffed out her cheeks and sighed.

"Yeah, she is here for work too. But we shouldn't talk about that here; the walls have ears you know." Soul looked around noticing now the shifty characters situated all around the bar. He stood up and took Maka's hand and began to lead her towards the exit.

"Well, let's get out of here then."


	9. Chapter 9

"You sure you can handle her up the stairs?" Black Star opened the car door and got out, heading around the back to help Tsubaki up and walking to go inside their house.

"ShuudaAAAP! I'm tryin' to sleep in here!" Patty grumbled, half yelling and whispering something else while she nodded off. Black Star placed a hand behind Tsubaki's neck and head and his other arm slid under her knees to try pull her out of her seat.

"Of course I'll be fine Ox, I'm Black Star aint I?" he lifted her up and stepped backwards, carefully trying to pry her out of the car without stirring her awake. He found he couldn't pull her anymore due to some strange force.

"Hurry up Black Star, we want to go home. Can't you lift her?" Kim whined, Black Star tried to yank a little harder but she wouldn't come out. Liz leaned over Patty in the car and a little click sounded, letting Tsubaki loose of the car.

"Seat-belt you idiot…" Liz rolled her eyes and closed the door behind Black Star as he stood on the edge of the street holding Tsubaki. Kim wound down her window and leaned over the frame with one elbow sticking out coolly.

"You guys take care now, don't be shy to call us!"

"Yup! Cya guys!"

"FUCKEN' SHAATUP!" Kim wound her window back up and Ox made the car rev and squeal as it took off down the street. Heavens knows how he afforded that car and had kept it in one piece.

"Give me 'nother…" Tsubaki grumbled sleepily as Black Star carried her to his door. He tried to balance her with one hand and his knee bent upwards under her back so he could reach into his pocket for his keys with poor results.

"Damn it, now I know why old farts wear their pants up so high…" he struggled to keep her from falling and waking up. He figured he must've looked ridiculous if anyone had seen him just now. He pushed Tsubaki a little higher with both arms and leaned her against the wall with his knee still jarred underneath her while he quickly dove his free hand into his pocket. "Empty…oh wait!" He ran his hand down Tsubaki's thigh and into her tight jeans pocket. He found a phone and some change. "Maybe the other one?" he whispered quietly to himself. He had to adjust his weight and hers a little so she wouldn't fall and then he forced his hand into he other pocket; to find what he was looking for.

"A little bunting…" Black Star rolled his eyes at her for he had no idea what planet she was on. He fiddled with the keys to find the right one before jamming it into the keyhole to open the door. He quickly placed the keys in his mouth before using both arms to carry Tsubaki inside.

"For someone so scrawny you weigh a lot…" He felt a firm stab at his stomach, however when he looked down at Tsubaki, she was defiantly sound asleep which had him puzzled. He made his way through the dark into the living room, where he had searched the wall with his forehead to find the light switch, turning it on with his tongue; making "blerr" noises as he struggled to flick the switch on. He walked over towards the couch and lay her down lengthways across the cushions so she looked comfortable. He left her to go down a hallway to her bedroom, retrieving a blanket and pillow, stopping at the kitchen and grabbing a large metal mixing bowl. He placed the bowl on the coffee-table beside the couch, covered Tsubaki with the blanket and propped her head ontop of her pillow he had just salvaged for her.

"If you are still awake, I have a bowl for you right here if you don't feel so good ok?" He lightly tapped the rim of the bowl, making a hollow metal noise. Tsubaki groaned and snuggled her face into her pillow before letting out a light feminine sigh. Black Star left the couch and headed for the light switch to turn it off before heading to bed. When the light went out he heard rustling from the couch and stopped at the edge of the hallway that lead to the bedrooms.

"Black Star? You still there?" she murmured. Black Star walked slowly in the direction of the couch in the dark to make sure he didn't trip over; from previous experience and many lamps' deaths.

"Yo!" he crouched at the side of the couch where Tsubaki's head was last time he had checked. Tsubaki reached out with one hand into the dark and touched his arm, leading her hand up his shoulders, neck until she found his face.

"Thanks for sticking with me, I must have looked so silly tonight…" Black Star scoffed.

"Fucking hilarious!" he lightly joked, trying not to be too loud. "You should do this more often, twas fun right?" Tsubaki giggled and then squeezed her eyes shut tightly. Despite the room being pitch-black, it was still spinning in circles, and for some reason it amplified when she closed her eyes.

"I don't feel good though, everything is moving…"

"It does that sometimes. I think it depends on what you drink and how much." Tsubaki moaned at the mention of "how much" and figured she must have consumed a lot.

"Well, what about you? Since you sound like you experimented so much that you know everything…" Some bigger words being formed now, showing signs of sobering up Black Star inwardly thought to himself; and signs of nagging.

"Let's just say you had a drink that makes you feel very vile inside, I found that drink made me vomit a lot more than most. Not one you should have lots of. Plus you didn't have much water in-between drinks…which reminds me!" Tsubaki felt Black Star stand up, her hand falling from his touch and quick footsteps heading away in the direction she guessed was the kitchen, for her head was still a big mess that she couldn't tell. She heard him bump into a few things and curse a little. He came back quickly and placed his hand over her belly and felt around her body, stirring Tsubaki up a little of embarrassment; thank goodness it was dark she thought. He found her hand and placed a cold bottle in the palm of her hand, the condensation leaving her fingers wet.

"Make sure to drink this whenever you can, it'll make you feel better." Tsubaki didn't feel like sitting up to have a drink like she was sure Black Star had intended for her to do, so she had just placed it on the floor in hand's reach.

"Thank you." She stated calmly. She was sure he would be smiling right now knowing that he was actually being helpful for once.

"By the way, how come you know so much about this sort of thing?" Black Star snickered and stood up from his crouching position and headed over somewhere else in the room. His footsteps stopped.

"Because you have done it for me so many times that I remembered!" Tsubaki smiled into the darkness and rolled over on the couch so that she was facing the ceiling. Black Star stood at the entrance of the hallway for a few minutes as if watching her before making his way down to his bedroom. He closed his door and flicked on the light, kicking off his shoes (which he noticed were filthy, and that he would get growled once he was found out in the morning), and dove face-first onto his bed. He rolled over onto his back and watched the fan on the ceiling; despite it being turned off. He let out a loud exhausted breath and sat up, resting his elbows on his knees and his hands placed under his cheeks. "She will feel so sick in the morning…"

Tsubaki tried a few times to sit up and drink some water but her body refused to allow her. She wasn't tired anymore but she defiantly wanted to get some sleep. She held her arms out in-front of her body as if she were about to do push-ups to try again with sitting up.

"Success!" she now leaned to the side of the couch to attempt at finding her water-bottle, however this task gave her dizzy spells every-time she leant over. She felt her stomach lurch, making her throat feel steamy and she knew what was going to happen next. She quickly leaned backwards to the coffee-table to find the bowl that was left for her, knocking it onto the floor loudly making her mentally slap herself in the face.

"Shit!" she rolled off the couch and felt around the floor, ending up vomiting onto the floor-boards before finding it. She then felt around, finally picking up the bowl and sat it on her lap prepared for another round, which wasn't happening. "Typical, NOW I'm not feeling sick…" She sat there for a while before trying to stand up and find the couch. She could hear all sorts of normal sounds such as the clicking of the fan, dripping of the tap and all the night insects outside. She heard a door open and footsteps hurry towards her. The light flicked on making her feel embarrassed at the mess she made.

"You idiot, I said in the bowl, not the floor!" Black Star bursted out into laughter and helped Tsubaki up off the floor. Tsubaki slapped his face and pouted angrily as he dropped her onto the couch and dumped the bowl beside her. "Go have a shower, you smell something shocking."

"I spose you are going to clean up?" Tsubaki felt sort of happy with this new and helpful Black Star.

"Pfft hell no, you're going to in the morning when you get all sobered up!" Then the whole feeling just left her like that; she knew better.

"Alright then, but at least take me to the bathroom and get me some clothes, unless you want me to stab you…" Black Star quickly lifted her up over his shoulder like a heavy bag, making everything in her stomach have a party against her welcome and ran down the hallway, turning hard to the bathroom. He propped her on the edge of their bathtub and closed the door behind her before she could say another word.

"Jeez, so moody!" he whined.

"I heard that! I want my p-j's by the way! And a new towel would be nice after I'm done!" she figured he hadn't heard her after a short pause of silence, him returning with onto his hands coming through the door with a bundle of clothes in his grasp.

"C'mon, hurry up and take 'em!" He shook his hands violently at the door as Tsubaki staggered to take them, almost slamming the door on his wrists, smiling wickedly as she had just missed his fingers. She rolled her eyes and placed her clothes on a small basket in the corner of the room, taking off her clothes slowly so she wouldn't feel too sick.

"I am so not going to drink again after this…"

Maka and Soul strolled side-by-side down the dim-streets of Death City. It smelled musky and nostalgic, probably not a place you would want to walk around by yourself, but defiantly thrilling none-to-less. Soul had his hands deep into his pockets and his head held up high with a serious face planted; a face someone would have while playing cards with money on the table.

"What's bothering you?" Maka questioned finally. Soul quickly snapped from his daze and looked over to her. He pointed a finger up to the sky.

"It might rain tonight, it's about time. Hasn't rained for a while."

"I love the rain, I can stay inside and read books all I want when it does." Soul rudely coughed and laughed at what she had said.

"You'd do that anyway." Maka smiled and giggled.

"Yeah, I guess that's true, but I find the sound of rain is peaceful; makes me think clearer." Soul looked around the street trying to keep his mind occupied and look cool, his hat tilted mysteriously like some spy from an old film.

"I don't mind it I guess…" he finally answered. Despite the lack of converse between them both, it didn't feel at all awkward. Soul's eyes made their way to Maka after scanning the street a dozen or so times and he gave himself a fresh update of her new appearance. She still had a similar sense of fashion as before, so no change there. Her hair was new though; which he noted to himself was a new likeable aspect of her appearance. She was getting taller, yet not quite his height by a good fifteen or twenty centimeters, which he was glad that he had surpassed her in that aspect. Her face was more defined now, more mature and grown up and her breasts had defiantly graduated from mozzie-bites to oranges. His gaze drifted hesitantly away from her breasts down to her legs which had also filled out, making him feel a little uneasy.

"Hey, so what do you do now? Just drink and play at the bar? I thought you hated to play music for other people?" Giving Soul a good escape route to look away from her without being noticed he looked up and put on a thinking pose; his thumb and fore-finger wrapped around his chin as he mumbled to himself.

"Well, I worked in a few places but got bored of doing the same thing over and over."

"You do that at the tavern though right? Kills your reasoning and doesn't explain anything." Soul huffed.

"Already nagging me? I haven't even finished telling you anything. You want me to continue?" Maka crossed her arms and scoffed grumpily, stubbornly showing him that she was ready to keep quiet without destroying her pride to say sorry. "Well, I did a few bounty-hunter like missions but they were just all small fry, stuff like burglars, delinquents, lost pets, you name it! So I just gave up looking for work for a while and just took time off."

"But stopping burglary is a good thing! Just because it's easy doesn't mean you shouldn't do it you know." Soul rolled his eyes and continued.

"Truth was that I felt too lazy to do it any more. The money was shit anyway. I had a bit saved to the side which I had just used for small expenses like power, food and water, and then stumbled across a sign that said "Musicians wanted!" and decided to give it a go."

"So all this time you haven't done anything really life-changing? Jeez that sounds boring…" Soul placed a hand on-top of her scalp and rustled her hair in discontent.

"I know. But it's not like as if I can do anything like become a doctor or build space-ships."

"You could become a teacher." Maka stated firmly, earning silence from Soul. They approached the old basketball court that they used to play at when they were younger. Soul sat at a bench, placing his hand beside him signaling Maka to sit. She ran her hands down her thighs until they reached her knees and left them there cradling the crevasse with her palms, while Soul leaned back with his arms behind his head casually. He let out a deep haggard breath, releasing a fine trail of hot air into the cool atmosphere surrounding them.

"I could have become a teacher, but I just couldn't." Maka looked over to him sincerely and furrowed her eye-brows to show her concern. Something was defiantly bothering him.

"Then why not? It's a good stable job and you are contributing to society, and even the world. The lives of the students depend on their education and will help them succeed in life. It is a very important job that is overseen by too many people. Every single one of "us" could have become a teacher, and a good one at that; even Black Star!" Soul turned his head with a cocked eyebrow unbelievably.

"Black Star, a teacher?" He said sarcastically.

"Yes." Maka said with full seriousness. "Just maybe not a very good one, but one with…different tactics to teaching." Soul coolly huffed and leaned forward on his knees, cupping his face with his hands.

"I couldn't imagine that, he wouldn't even come to class to teach and would fight all the students." Maka placed a hand on Soul's shoulder and dipped her head so she could see his face. She removed his hat and sat it between them on the bench.

"I wasn't even talking about him, I'm talking about you. And you are dodging a bullet here. I am asking you, why did you not apply to become a teacher at the school? Don't beat around the bush this time." Soul looked at her face and focused on her emerald eyes. He then placed his hand over hers that was placed on his should and removed it, leading it down to her lap with her other hand.

"I couldn't see myself as a teacher without my Meister." Maka's stomach turned and she was lost for words. She hadn't expected that to come from him, perhaps something less mature like "It's so much effort" or "I don't care for younger students."

"You, you really think that? You could have just found another Meister to work with you if you really needed someone!" Soul shook his head. He grabbed his hat from beside her and ran his fingers around the rim like a wine-glass.

"It wouldn't feel right. Unlike you Meister's such as Stein, I haven't had much practice with others, and you remember when Black Star tried to use me; that totally failed." Maka pressured Soul by squeezing his arm persistently.

"That's no excuse, practicing with someone else would have gotten you used to it."

"But you wielded Tsubaki fine enough, why couldn't I work with someone else? And besides, the only other person who was interested in becoming a DWMA teacher was Ox, and became one mind you, and there is NO way in hell I'd let him use me as a teaching tool."

"But you'd let me?" Soul stopped talking and looked away again angrily; he wasn't winning this argument. She removed his fedora from between them and placed it on Soul's lap and shuffled in closer to him on the bench. Soul felt a little uneasy with this sudden advance towards him and just tried to keep his cool. He didn't understand why he felt so awkward with her this close when he had been this close many times before during their studying years; Jeez, they even lived together and he never felt at all embarrassed.

"I, I just didn't want to teach by myself ok, end of story. And you didn't exactly want to do teaching yourself by the looks of it. Running off with your Mum that just 'appears' out of the blue, so I didn't have a choice now did I?" Maka slapped him hard on his cheek, balling her fists into her thighs angrily.

"You DID have a choice! A choice to make a difference! You don't have to rely on me, on other people! You are not just a tool, but you sure are acting like one!" Soul knew he had said some wrong things in the heat of the moment and felt ashamed. He was so happy that she was back after all those years and all he had done was make her angry. She was glaring at him like as if he was some criminal behind bars just waiting for an answer to leave his mouth. He genuinely searched his whole vocabulary to build up an apology but just couldn't speak. Thunder roared in the distance and light flickers of rain scattered across the court, Maka turning away from Soul and standing up from the bench. Soul stood up after her and grasped her wrist before she could move away earning a struggle from Maka.

"Are you staying in Death City for good?" he questioned. Maka looked at the ground which was slowly becoming wet from the rain; a Dalmatian pattern covering the ground all around them. She turned to look at his face and half-smiled.

"We'll see, but first, I want out of this rain." Soul let out a sigh of relief and released her wrist from his grip. He returned her smile with one of his own until the rain decided to thicken upon them, making them run for cover. They found their way back to Soul's apartment, climbing up the stairs to reach his door; a mixture of laughter and heavy breathing amongst the pair. Soul reached into his trouser-pocket to retrieve his keys and open the door, letting Maka in first like a gentleman would. She shook her body like a dog would after a bath and gripped her arms for warmth; Soul not far behind. She turned on a few lights to find it looking the same as how she left it and grinned.

"Make yourself at home I spose." Soul murmured as he removed the top half of his clothing and headed down to the laundry. Maka only caught a glimpse of his upper-body which gave her the tingles, shaking her head in disapproval of her hormones.

"It's too clean…" she mumbled, trying to change her thoughts to something more 'Maka-like'. She wondered around the living room to find it looking vacuumed, all couch cushions straight, no leftover food on the table, dvd's stacked nicely beside the TV on their respective shelf. "Amazing! You'd think a woman lived here…" She then felt her heart sink at that thought; perhaps a woman did live here, he was an adult after all.

"Hot water is ready if you want to take a bath or a shower, I'll follow you after you're done while I make dinner." Maka nodded and headed down towards where her old bedroom was. It was quite a mess, just how she left it after she scurried to find everything she needed to travel with her mother on such short notice. Draws left open with bits of clothing hanging out, her study desk had several items scattered over its surface and her bed unmade. The place was somewhat cleaned however, the floor being bare and perhaps vacuumed, however everything she guessed had been on the floor previously was dumped onto her bed.

"He could have at least done my room properly…well he IS a guy after all." She grumbled as she opened on drawer to find herself something to change into. She found herself in quite a bundle of amusement going over all her old clothing, some of which she couldn't even remember owning. She pulled them all out over the floor and searched through the heap to find something nice to sleep in for the night. Maka's eyes lit up when she found some three-quarter length cotton p-j bottoms, khaki in colour with ducklings printed all over, and it's matching top half to go with it. She remembered her father bought them for her years ago and she had debated that they were too childish to put him down, while deep down inside she wanted them badly.

She made her way to the bathroom and closed the door behind her, locking it just in case. Maka slid off her wet top and dumped it in a clothes-basket which had been in the same spot it had always been in. She unbuckled her pants and let them slide down to her ankles before stepping out of them, along with her underwear. Before she unbuckled her bra, she turned the hot-water tap on to get it running, threw her bra across the room and stepped in. She adjusted the hot and cold taps till it was just right and let herself relax for the first time since she had been summoned to Death City.


	10. Chapter 10

Kid delicately adjusted a martini glass along his fine granite-top bench in line with one on the other side of the room on an exact replica bench, made of the same material. He kept his head still, eying the glasses on both sides of the room with darting glances to make sure he was going to get it in the most perfect spot to match the other.

"I've finally got the phones removed, horrible things, the benches rearranged, redesigned this whole kitchen and if these poxy little glasses don't line up, my life is over." His eyes squinted as he moved the glass slightly aside and stepped back a fair distance, in the middle of the room, and soaked in his work with triumph. "And alas, God loves a man of such endeavor as I, and he rewards me as so with such perfection!" He let out a proud breath, put his hands on his hips simultaneously (of course) and turned towards one of the two fridges in the kitchen, one to his left. He opened the double doors together, symmetrically, and reached in for what turned out to be a soda and closes the door, both doors at the same time.

"Yeehaar! Partay's over! Sleep time!" Patty roared as she burst through the door, making Kid shutter for she had only opened one side and not the other. Liz came in behind her and noticed Kid's discomfort, walking back out and coming back in by opening both doors at the same time, putting a smile back on Kid's face.

"Ah, ladies you return. Now I know you both may not be…in the mood or right of mind right now due to the level of boorish entry you gave. I'd give you a four out of ten for the effort of fixing up the clear mistake taken, well done, but I have an announcement to make!" Patty stood still with an eye squinted, lip drooped and back hunched forward trying all her best to pay attention somewhat, whilst Liz folded her arms patiently to see what he had for show this time.

"Well, hurry up before Patty collapses onto the floor." She grumbled. Kid lifted a fist up to his mouth and coughed into it to clear his throat.

"I have fixed our little obstacle from yesterday, how I didn't see it before bothers me so, and have improved this house further."

"Haha ya holdin' a soda wit' one hand!" Patty blurted, quickly Kid placed both of his hands on each side of his drink and stood straight so that his posture was now even. Liz's eyes found the ceiling as she thought to herself how she put up with such behaviour such as this every day.

""Erherm, as I was previously saying, the phone issue is no longer valid, for I have had them removed. I now only use my mobile which will be on my body at all times, and that ill answer it once I have entered the centre of the room. Now there is no issue of being on both sides of the room to answer the phone or make a call. Any questions?" Liz walked passed Kid and Patty, made her way to one of the two fridges in the kitchen, opened up its doors how Kid would and pointed to the other across the room.

"The same problem applies for the fridges, unless you find a doppelganger to open the other at the same time, the room is still uneven." Kid dropped his soda and it hit the tiles below with a crash, spurting out its insides everywhere. Kid lifted his hands up to his face in a clawing motion and collapsed to the floor in frustration.

"WHY? WHY DIDN'T I THINK THIS THROUGH?" Patty stumbled passed him and joined Liz out of the kitchen.

"We are going to bed now Kid, have fun fixing the fridges tonight!" She blew a playful kiss towards him and giggled sadistically while they both headed up a set of spiral stairs further into the house. Kid still sat slumped on the floor, watching his reflection in the beautifully waxed tiles and started cursing to himself.

"This house is sickening, that woman is sickening, I am sickening…WHY AM I TORTURED SO?" Banging could be heard above him in a stomping motion.

"SHUT UP ALREADY! WE ARE TRYING TO SLEEP HERE!" Liz yelled. Kid shot up from the floor and glared above him angrily.

"If you thump the floor, do it eight times! Not four, that is just wrong!" He got no reply and already knew he had lost this fight. He glanced over at the fridges in the kitchen and dipped his head in defeat. "But I suppose from one angle it is symmetrical if one person uses one fridge, but if viewed from the hallway entrance it defiantly is not right. I never think these things through." Kid felt something vibrate on one side of his trousers and reached in, pulling out his phone. He touched the screen and it said 'Patty' which made him cock an eye at the ceiling curiously before heading to the centre of the room to take his call.

"Hello?"

"Your phone is in one pocket isn't it…" She whispered in a very light voice. Kid angrily growled and lifted the phone over his head, disconnecting his call and yelled out into the room in aggravation.

"WHY CAN'T I WIN?"

"So Sweetums, you want to come back to my place?" Kami rolled her eyes, keeping a consistent distance between herself and her ex-husband. Spirit continusly broke into her space, only to have her move away further or hit him to show him that he wasn't wanted; didn't seem to work very well.

"No, I will be staying at a hotel for my full duration here, and you are defiantly not invited Spirit." Spirit tilted his head and scooted in closer to her, earning an animalistic snarl from Kami in return.

"Aaaaannd which hotel would that be Dearest? I can tell you which rooms have the softest beds depending on which place you are staying at. However my bed is the most comfortable of all if you'd take it!" Kami back-handed Spirit to gain herself her boundries back and to feel some self-satisfaction from inflicting pain onto the man. He cupped his nose from the impact and groaned like a lonely puppy, all put on for show of course.

"Stop following me and go home." Kami stated firmly. Spirit skipped in-front of her to stop her in her steps, only to be avoided like any obstacle in her path.

"But, but, I don't even stay at my home anymore, I pretty much stay at any hotel room I manage to bump into."

"Then don't 'bump' into this one. Bragging about sluttiness is not a very desirable trait in men and I have no idea how you find it impressive, now go away." Spirit decided to change the subject from yet a second turn down at his all-so-clever advances.

"We have to learn to get along again you know Pumpkin, the Grim Reaper needs our co-operation!" Kami could see what card he was trying to pull out on her and didn't like all the extra walking to avoid her hotel location as much as possible while he was with her. It was late, she was tired and she was getting irritated as he carried on. "Now we cant sync souls with you being so uptight!"

"If you don't go away, I won't obey the Grim Reaper and just leave again, so piss off already. I'll see you in our 'sync-training', whenever that is. I'd rather not see you unless I need to." Spirit seemed taken back by her words but listened to her seriously this time. He stopped in his steps and bowed to Kami, before waving an arm in and air and turning to the direction they had just came from.

"I will see you tomorrow then Cream-Puff! Love yooooou!" Kami rolled her eyes and started walking faster as if to get away to as far as she could him. She looked around her surroundings carefully before she was confident he defiantly wasn't pursuing her in secret and headed towards the hotel she was subjected to stay in.

"Figaro's Hotel…well it's no 'Backpacker's society I 'spose…" she pushed one of the double-glass doors open to be welcomed to a nice temperature that she guessed was somewhat twenty-two degrees and without the humidity that was outside. "Thank goodness, it feels as though it might rain tonight, I hope Maka joins me soon." She softly said to herself as she approached the front counter. A young woman stood there filing her nails, occasionally nipping them with her teeth and glimpsing at them, not even looking up to Kami's face.

"What room?" she stated lazily, still continuing on with her nails carelessly. Kami noted in the back of her mind that she was glad that her daughter was nothing of the sort.

"203 miss." Kami replied. The young girl pulled out a large folder-like book, opened it up and lifted out a note that she read to herself.

"A request from the Big Cheese himself ey? Here's your key and enjoy your stay ma'am." With little care in the world, the woman handed Kami a key and extended her manicure session further without much more of a word. Kami looked down at the key in her palm, a very old-fashioned key such as those used for music or jewelry-boxes, instead of a cheap looking plastic card as she normally received. She made her way to an elevator and headed up two floors, made her way down the hall until she found the room with her number on it. She unlocked the door and opened it to step inside, feeling her exhaustion overtake her body almost instantly upon entry. She closed the door behind herself and made her way to the first of the two beds in the room in sight and collapsed onto it.

"Oh I can't believe what I have gotten myself into, it had so better be worth the…trouble." She lay on the bed with her feet hanging off the edge, kicking off her shoes and terribly failing at removing her socks with her toes. She resorted to sitting up and manually getting rid of them by hand, discarding them to the end of her bed before crawling to the top to get under the sheets.

Owls hooted outside and the whines of cats echoed just outside her window as she fidgeted under the blankets trying to get comfortable. She kept her eyes on a digital clock beside her bed wondering when Maka would join her, or if she would. She pouted in a child-like manner at the thought of her out having fun drinking without her and rolled over to look away from the clock and now at the window. Kami could see the moon with a thick blanket of clouds muffling it; light thunder sounding off every now and then. Just as she tried to close her eyes she heard rain start to fall and then pour heavily.

"I hope my baby won't catch a cold…"


	11. Chapter 11

Maka made her way down the passage-way drying her hair in her pyjamas listening to the sound of the TV going off in the living room. She wrapped the towel around her shoulders when she exited and glanced to the TV to see adverts popping up trying all their hardest to either sell their product or make people destroy their televisions menacingly. She made her way to the couch to find it empty and sat in the centre, grabbing the remote from a small table situated in-front of the couch, perfect for resting feet, and checked to see what was on the other channels.

"No don't change it, some movie comes on in five minutes after this soapy shit, I really want to see it." Maka changed it back to where it was but turned the volume down a few notches to a more tolerable level. Maka pulled her knees onto the couch and turned so she had her chest up against the back of the couch to watch Soul in the kitchen. She couldn't see him while he was at the stove which was out of site due to a wall, but occasionally saw him when he made trips to the sink or some draws in search for utensils. She felt like laughing because she remembered how much he hated doing the cooking due to it being "women's work"; letting him live alone for a while must have changed his view on things for sure.

"Whatcha cookin' Miss?" she finally decided to blurt out, Soul poked his head around the corner and gave her the finger, Maka sliding back to face the TV and crossing her arms irritably. "Fine then …"

"Spag-Bol, can't be fucked to do anything else. You could grate some cheese if you want to be helpful you know."

"Aaaalright!" Maka snaked her body over one arm of the couch in a laidback manner to join Soul in the kitchen. She opened the fridge and bent down to have a gander for the cheese. "Bingo." She pulled out a half-used block of cheese covered in cling-wrap and placed it on the counter while she went to search for a grater.

"Third draw down." Soul turned off the stove's gas and lifted a frying-pan which contained the bolognaise to move it to a cold coil. "And get two bowls with a fork each to." Maka found the grater and placed it next to the block of cheese from before, then begain to search cupboards for bowls.

"Are they still in the over-head cupboard?" Soul shoved himself beside her and reached above her where indeed the bowls and plates were kept. He handed them to her and pointed to another draw.

"Forks are in there, I haven't changed anything you know, I'd forget otherwise." Maka carried both bowls to the stove where Soul had spaghetti ready for searving, rolling up a heap on a fork and evenly placing a serving into each bowl, a little extra in the one he claimed for himself of course. He dumped a large scoop of bolognaise over his spaghetti and headed over to the counter where Maka had left the cheese and grater.

"Sorry, didn't get to grating 'cos you nagged me." Maka whined before Soul could speak a word of criticism. She finished serving herself and joined him in waiting for him to finish grating cheese for himself.

"Tis alright, I can manage." He placed his bowl in the crook of his arm and went to the fridge to pull out a beer, passing a second one to Maka. "Want one?" Maka screwed up her face and shook her head in refusal, making Soul put it back. "Suit yourself, Oh sounds like that movie is about to start, don't drag your ass!"

"Ok!" The pair of them slumped into the soft couch cushions and started eating their dinner. Soul grabbed the remote to turn the TV up to a ridiculous volume before tossing it carelessly beside him. "Why so loud? You HAVE neighbors right?"

"Their fault for living close and besides, the rain is pretty loud too. Anyway shut up, it's startin' already!" Maka elbowed him sharply and continued eating, getting little response from Soul apart from slurps.

Maka slowly ate her dinner while watching the film, which so far was set in a fictional war time era. She had taken a fondness to the protagonist who was a young man who had his family massacred and was trying to take revenge on the leader of the leader of the military movement against his people. She jumped a few times with particular scenes where people were being tortured and raped, yet she found Soul had no emotional impact on these sorts of scenes; just blank. As if none of it was interesting or scary to him at all.

"Arggh adverts! Why is there so many?" He grumbled, long finished his dinner. He lay backwards so his head hung over the armrest on his side and stretched his body as far as his side was before he reached into Maka's 'zone'. Maka took both of their bowls and headed to the kitchen sink to clean up before the movie commenced again.

"You'd think that after midnight that the adverts would cut us some slack hey?" Maka threw in to give Soul something to complain about while he waited.

"Well all the dirty ones come on after twelve, but they play them so often it kills the original coolness they had." Maka rolled her eyes and returned to the couch, to find that he had dominated the whole thing; legs over her side.

"Talking about dirty, you haven't had a shower yet, go on, get in there!" Maka tried to shift his legs off the side of the couch to no success, much to Soul's amusement.

"Aww c'mon! I thought you were stronger than that!" Maka was starting to fume and used both hands to lift his legs, feeling him purposely put pressure down on them to keep them grounded and struggle further. He couldn't help but laugh at her atrocious efforts.

"GET UP!" she used her elbow and slammed it into his shin with a good bout of force making him yelp and fold him legs, giving her enough time to sit back down in her rightful place beside him. Soul rubbed his leg tenderly and bounded across the couch, placing both his arms around her and lifted her off the couch onto the floor.

"It's after twelve, good girls should be going to bed now." Maka scoffed and leaped onto the couch, digging her nails into his ribs to take him down.

"So sexist, that is very uncool of you and im-ma-ture." She struggled to get her words out as he fought back with a small pillow pressed against her face, forcing her backwards onto the floor. She still resisted, balancing on the edge of the couch and found herself pulling him down with herself; hitting the back of her head hard on the table situated close-by. "THAT HURT!" Maka squealed, rubbing her head. Soul put the pillow aside, reached for the remote left of the couch and flicked off the TV, sitting beside Maka. He placed his hand on the back of her head, massaging it gently.

"Sorry, I got a bit carried away." She hit him with a balled up fist against his collar-bone, inflicting further pain on herself more-so than Soul.

"You should be sorry…" He took his hand away and spotted a little blood covering his palm. He quickly picked her up and placed her on the couch before darting off down the hallway.

"Keep your hand over it!" he called out from she was guessing was his room or the bathroom. She had no idea why he was fretting so much for, it was just a bump.

"Hey I'm all good; you're going to miss out on your movie!"

"Fuck the movie." He returned it some cotton-balls and a bottle of liquid. "Lay on your belly for me."

"Why?" Maka removed her hand from her head and looked at her fingers to see blood also, until then she wasn't even aware of herself bleeding. She quickly obeyed and lay down, sliding a small cushion under chest and propped her elbows and head on the armrest. Soul sat on the edge of the couch and started parting her hair from her scalp, wiping her skin with the liquid; causing more pain with each wipe.

"That table has a sharp edge you know." They conversed quietly together and before long Soul had cleaned most of the blood from her head leaving a nice little pile of stained-cotton on the table beside them.

"Thanks, I'm sure the 'Soul' of the past would have just said 'Suck it up'." Maka sat up facing Soul as he rubbed his shoulder coolly in clear embarrassment.

"The 'Old Soul' wasn't a gentleman like this new one." He stated somewhat humble in response. Maka scooted closer to him so that they were slightly touching shoulders.

"And he wouldn't have cooked dinner so willingly."

"Plus he wouldn't be out drinking every night." He didn't seem so happy with himself after saying that, shuffling so his back was against the couch to avoid her advance on moving in closer to him. Maka placed a hand on his thigh and lightly squeezed it causing him to flinch unintentionally.

"There is room for changes." The way she had touched Soul made him doubt himself.

"How?" Maka took in a deep breath looking him up and down; feeling her heart race at the mere thought of her next action. He seemed a little unobservant of her hinting and decided to label that as what her mother would call "typical male". She placed a soothing hand against his collar and massaged it softly before gripping it lightly to lean in towards him. Soul felt his body being pushed into the back of the couch and his pulse dash when his eyes met hers incredibly close. They both could feel each-others' breathing tickling their faces as neither progressed to take the next move. With each breath it sent tingles down their bodies making the whole atmosphere feel hot and hard to breathe in.

"Put in an effort for once…" she whispered, as she sat back and released his collar, much to his disappointment and secretly her own as well. "For starters you should get a job, a p-r-o-p-e-r job." Soul let out a forced sigh and tilted his head to the ceiling to avoid her imposing emerald orbs.

"Like what?" Maka lightly slapped Soul's cheek, bounding off the couch, skipping to the opening of the hallway towards their bedrooms, leaning femininely against the wall-frame; leaving Soul completely confused with her sudden change in actions.

"Well, next Monday I will be going in to DWMA for my first day as a teacher, I wouldn't mind a demonstration partner. But I want my partner to be someone totally cool and awesome, which is very hard to come across these days…" Soul smiled whole-heartedly after hearing her pretty much 'beg' for him to work with her. Without further word she disappeared down the hall with a almost silent 'click' of her bedroom door leaving him by himself on the couch lost in thought.

He thought for a while alone thinking it would be for the best. He would get to work side-by-side just like old times with Maka, minus the life-risking fighting, and possibly convince her to stay in Death City and perhaps more. He watched the fan circle above him letting off a sequential squeak every time it rotated; picturing himself in-front of awe-struck eyes as a Death-Scythe with his old-time Meister showing him off.

He shook his head and got up to grab another beer from the fridge, getting halfway before deciding to leave it for now and taking that shower he long needed.

"Things might be looking up from now on."


	12. Chapter 12

"Plushenko, vwat vill you do witz the vial?" A gloomy dark woman slammed her palms onto the thick wooden table in the poorly lit room aggressively, glaring down at the other opposite to her. There were low-hanging lanterns hanging above the long table dully, giving off a musky yellow light such of those of bug-repellant light-bulbs. The other woman stroked a large tiger that lay on the table in-front of her, running her fingers down the curves of the animal slowly making it hum gently with bliss.

"Vorona, don't be silly Darling! All within' time dear, be patient, be patient." The other woman sat down forcefully onto the surface of the table with her back straight, showing her impatience with the other. Her clothes were all black, including her lip-stick and eye-shadow, giving off a vibe of death no matter how you looked at her. Both women were remarkably thin and tall and of similar appearance, but Vorona come across to be more untidy.

"But we vill be found out! We must hurry and make use of zit quwickly!" Vorona flinched backwards as the large tiger growled menancingly towards her, cowering back incase of further intentions. The woman placed a firm grip over the beast's throat and pulled it down onto the table in a scolding matter.

"Zool, hush my sweetheart, she means so harm to me. Vorona, do not speak to me like zat again or I vill let him tear your throat out with his jaws. I vant you to trust in me and no panic yes? I already know how to dispatch the goods so it be received to the right…victim. However!" Vorona leaned forwards to hear better, Zool's teeths baring at her advance closer to his master; glistening under the poor lighting fiercely.

"Yes Plushenko, I vant to hear more! Please continue!" The woman slid her arms seductively over the tiger's stomach, in a cat-like stretching motion so her face was now visible in the light. Her ass stood up straight in the air off her chair until her whole body gave way over the table leaving her in a bundle with her furry companion. She adjusted herself until she had her back against him and her arms behind her neck in a casual manner.

"I need the help of you."

"Anysing! I vill stay with you until I am taken to the other world!" Vorona lay forward onto the table with herh ands together like a peasant on the street begging for food from a passerby; earning a malicious grin from the woman before her.

"Zare is a large gathering, a ball of sorts, zat occurs vonce a year at ze academy. Thousands of people from students, lecturers and so on vill be attending; including Death." She'd emphasized the last word with a hiss of her tounge, making Vorona turn her lip up in disgust.

"And you vill kill him no?" She replied excitedly. The woman burst out into hysterical laughter, mocking her inquiry.

"No you silly voman, Death vill not die from a simple concoction like zis!" she wavered the thin vial from between two long-finger, rotating it as if showing off its contents. "But I have another plan for it altogether and will need your assistance. I need you to familiarize yourself with ze staff of the academy and bring me a man under za name of 'Franken Stein'."

"I vill beat him to the brink of death and bring his carcass to you Plushenko!" The woman snarled angrily, gaining silence from the other.

"No you vill not. You vill bring him to me, no harm! To do zat you must become trusted in his presence like Lady Medusa had done once before." Upon hearing Medusa's name Vorona shuddered in a frightened manner.

"But, vouldn't the man be vary if such a stranger had fooled him vonce? He won't be so foolish a second time Plushenko!"

"Tanya, do you want me to silence her?" Zool purred in a low toned voice.

"Darling, do not grow irritant of her bickering, she is still learning. Men are all ze same Vorona. I beautiful voman step's into zeir lives and they vill be unwary of…such zings. Do vhatever possible to get him into your talons of trust. Seduce, bribe, but no threats! Understand?" Vorona slid off of the table and bowed her head to her superior and backed away into the darkness that surrounded them. Tanya rolled onto her belly, nuzzled her face into Zool's fur and let out a heavy moan.

"Something seems to be on your mind Tanya, is it the little bird?" Tanya stroked him under his chin and Zool laid one of his large paws over her waist.

"Sit's a shame zat she vill fail the task given." She sighed disheartened.

"What makes you so certain? You sounded so confident to her that she could do it? Why the sudden change in attitude?" Tanya lightly touched Zool's jowl and ran her finger along its slick surface.

"Because, I gave her a task zat I intend to have her fail in. I have different plans of course. I vould feel so ashamed to use such a lowly plan zhat Medusa conjured up herself. The girl is just a decoy my Darling." Zool let out a scoff as Tanya forced her hand into his mouth, fiddling with his large, white teeth with the tips of her finger-nails.

"So what is your real plan?"

Rain was hitting the glass-windows aggressively, trying to make as much noise as possible to wake up the peaceful sleepers. Soul placed his pillow over his head and grunted, turning his body away from the window, glancing at his bed-side clock.

5:12am.

"Why so early?" he grumbled, rolling over again in discomfort. He lay there for what seemed like several hours before turning over to look at the clock again.

5:15am.

"FUCK IT!" Soul shot up from bed and sat on the edge rubbing his eyes. He stared down at his feet for a little before trying to stand up to start his day. As he got up, he heard a noise from outside his bedroom and froze. "Someone is here…" he whispered under his breath. He crept from his bed to his door to open it as quietly as he could. Soul stood at his door to listen for noise again.

Kitchen.

He tip-toed down the passage-way, stopping at a sliding cupboard-door. He opened it and pulled out a baseball-bat, only to put it back. "Im a weapon, I don't NEED a weapon, that's uncool." More noise emitted from the kitchen which got his heart-rate going faster. He took in a deep breath before he made his way around the corner so he could take a peak at whoever was trespassing. He saw traces of clothing and items of his in locations he knew they wouldn't be placed by him. This was getting suspicious now. He stepped out quickly and ran into the kitchen with his arm changed into a long blade, to be stopped in his steps by a heavy frying-pan to the face.

"IDIOT!" an angry voice of a woman yelled out as he backed into the kitchen bench, rubbing his face almost in tears from the impact.

"WHAT THE HELL? GET OU…oh shit that's right…" Soul stared blankly at Maka, standing with her arms cross holding the frying-pan used for previous pain infliction.

"God you are so dense, you must have killed half of your brain-cells from those years of under-aged binge-drinking."

"Hey I'm twenty-one now! And why are you up so early?" Maka cocked an eyebrow and tapped her fingers along the handle of the frying-pan.

"Oh I am quite aware that you didn't start drinking after your twenty-first birthday." Soul tilted his head and opened his mouth to speak, only to be interrupted. "And before you ask, I had a chat with your friend the barkeeper while you were edging Tsubaki on to take those last drinks. And I forgot how loud you snore." Soul noted in the back of his mind to have a word with Lou when he next saw him.

"Well I'm sure you haven't been a complete little angel while on your 'Little Adventure' around the world. You have HAD to have done something dumb or illegal during that period I'm sure of it."

"You won't hear anything of the sort from me. Anyway, I've made you breakfast, since you were so nice of to make me dinner so late last night. I'll forget your little knife attack just now and we can call it even." Soul knew he had to prod her later about any saucy things she had done while away, but let it slide for now as his mind became aware of a pleasant aroma that had been wafting around the room all this time.

"Smells familiar…what is it?" Maka turned around and handed him a plate with spaghetti bolognaise dumped on-top of it.

"Leftovers." She stated with a serious expression planted on her face. Soul snatched his plate and sifted through his utensil draw to find himself a fork.

"So lazy for a woman…" He mumbled, shoving a greedily loaded portion on his fork into his mouth, chewing it like a cow would eat grass. Maka headed for the dinner-table and sat down with her breakfast in a child-like manner.

"I am going to take that to heart and demand I get treated to lunch so you can make it up to me." She slowly swirled the food onto her fork and began eating at her own pace; even though Soul had nearly finished just standing up in the kitchen still.

"Pfft rich people eat lunch, so you're missing out." Maka spat some of her food out and spun around on her chair glaring him straight in the eye.

"Ice-cream then…" Soul went to speak with his mouth half-full, until Maka lifted her fork in interruption. "No buts!" Soul sighed and placed his plate in the sink to rinse it. He then felt a tug at his bladder and left the plate alone to make his way to the bathroom.

"Need'a piss."

Spirit let out a huge yawn and stretched his legs out in-front of him before sitting up in bed. He looked to his right to find a brown-haired woman curled up beside him with one arm slung over one of his legs in a light hug. He rubbed his eyes lightly and looked to his left, spotting another dark-haired woman sprawled out over the bed-covers stark naked except for a pair of thick leather work-boots. Spirit cocked an eye at the sight before him and tried to recall his previous actions with nothing but his argument with Kami.

"Boots…"Then his mind wondered to why there was a woman with possibly steel-capped leather boots on his bed.

Roll-play. Of course.

"Aaah, answers that mystery." He said aloud, his voice making one of the girls to groan and squirm in her sleep. Spirit placed both of his arms behind his head and let out a heavy sigh. "The fairy tale of Puss in Boots will forever be changed in my perverted little mind."

Puss in Boots, one of Maka's favourites.

"Mmm Sweetie, could you keep it down? This kitty is trying to sleepy-weepy…" Spirit sat up not saying a word and crept off the bed, not trying to disturb the women. He searched through the man discarded pieces of clothing to try finding his own. He picked up a lacy-edged thong and lifted it to his eye-level before placing it down onto the bed behind him.

"Defiantly not mine." He whispered, gradually picking up the missing pieces of his attire and putting them on as he went. After getting completely dressed, he exited the room, glancing back at the thought of how confused both those women would be when they wake up only to find each-other laying together…naked.

He took the elevator down to the bottom floor of the Inn while still adjusting his clothes so he didn't appear too suss; stepping out once it reached the bottom and headed out into the sunlight outside. Spirit took in a deep breath of fresh air and headed towards the centre of the city.

"Time to find this handsome devil some breakfast."

"The rain has finally stopped." Kami told herself as she stepped out of her hotel, looking up at the brand-new sky. The cobble-stones were almost invisible under all the rain-water that flooded the foot-paths due to mixing with dirt and making it murky. Kami started to head down the street, wishing she hadn't worn her good shoes, to her destination of the Academy. She let out a sigh of exhaustion, mixed with jet-lag, as she slowly but steadily stumbled along the path.

"DRUNK OLD LADY!" a group of young children ran passed Kami pulling faces, one throwing a mud-ball at Kami, hitting her left breast. Kami's eyes twitched fiercely, giving the children the shivers as she stopped walking and started shaking angrily.

"COME 'HERE YOU SHITHEADS!" the children all screamed as she came running towards them at full speed, scattering in all directions to escape her wrath. She kept her eyes on the one who threw the mud and caught him by the hair, reefing him backwards so he fell over and sat in a mud-puddle; now mixed with urine.

"I, I, I didn't mean to do it Miss, Stanley told me to! Don't hurt me!" the child squirmed to no success of winning Kami's mercy. She lifted the boy up by the hair and stood him in-front of her. She pointed at her left breast with her free hand and glared hostilely into his face.

"Do you see what you have done here little boy? DO YOU SEE?" all around them, the other children were hiding behind walls, bins and other objects to wittiness the peril of their friend while keeping a good distance from danger. The little boy nervously turned his attention to her mud-covered breast and winced guiltily. "What do you say?"

"I'm sorry?" Kami gripped his hair tighter and tilted his head so he could look her in the eyes again.

"WHAT DO YOU SAY?"

"I'M SORRY!" Kami shook the kid around, making him squeal out loud in pain before bending forward to his level.

"NO! You should say 'I will never do that again!" and not tell your parents what you've done today, for I will hurt you again. DO YOU UNDERSTAND!"

Spirit came around the corner after hearing a commotion to spot his ex-wife half-strangling a kid before releasing him. The child ran off to join his friends and disapiered into the streets, leaving Kami to dust herself down. Spirit approached her cautiously and tapped her shoulder.

"What did he do to you?" Kami spun around, almost striking Spirit, and exhaled in a tired manner.

"He called me an 'Old Lady', it got on my nerves so I taught him how to respect women better."

"In fear?" Spirit answered without much thought to his answer. Kami lifted a hand as if to strike him but stopped.

"Exactly." Kami continued walking to find herself being followed by Spirit. She rolled her eyes and stopped him in his steps. "I thought that we were over this Spirit, I don't want you stalking me."

"I'm not Dearest, I't just so happens that the quickest route to the school is this way." Kami sniffed his clothes and turned up her nose waving her hand as if there were a fly around.

"You smell of sex. You are still a filthy animal I see." Spirit went to smell his own clothes to notice nothing different about his scent and shrugged her insult off without taking offence.

"My you have such a temper in the morning, you haven't changed at all." A light growl discharged from the woman's throat, sending off a warning to stray from talking. However, Spirit wasn't so bright as to take a hint.

"Though I remember the mornings best when we made love and sometimes you'd make me breakfast in only an apron!" Kami swung her arm backwards, slamming it into Spirit's face sending him backwards. "Sweetums! Wait for meee!"

"I swear I will kill you…" she sighed as she was brought to a halt by the beginning of the stairs that led to the school's entrance. She felt like collapsing where she was and just giving up on climbing up the ridiculously large flight of stairs. "Elevator please…"

"I can help you up my little Éclair!" She rolled her eyes for she knew it was going to be a long day.


	13. Chapter 13

"Ah, a good morning to you Kami." Stein exhailed his cigarette smoke to the side politely from Kami's face and she bowed her head in return.

"Im glad that you sound like you're having a good morning." She looked over her shoulder gesturing to Spirit who was oblivious to her infuriation. Stein adjusted his glasses and put a hand out to Kami.

"Well, I had the most peculiar start actually. Would you like to hear?" Kami glanced behind over at Spirit again and figured it would give her an excuse to ignore him.

"Why not, fire away."

"Well, I got up quite early this morning and had my morning cup of coffee, made by Marie of course, and took a step outside to light up a smoke. While I was outside, a little crow came up to me with a damaged wing."

"A crow? Any animal would have to be stupid to approach you." Stein nodded and took in another drag.

"I know right? Well, the little thing hopped up to me, I'm guessing it wanted food or something so I picked it up and took it inside. Doesn't look like your average American Crow which had me piling up some questions." Kami found herself loosing interest quickly but kept listening, or at least tried to look interested.

"Don't all crows look the same?" Kami threw out in the open, trying to convince Stein that she was paying attention. Stein lifted a finger to silence her.

"Not at all! Yes, the majority are a metallic black, but you can also get crows of different sizes, eye colours, calls and also some white rarities. This crow had white feathers scattered across it's body, defiantly from overseas. I'd say it's a Hooded Crow, Collared Crow or even possibly the believed extinct Pied Raven, which is unlikely but still a possibility."

"An extinct bird that stumbles to your door?" Kami cocked an eyebrow unbelievably. "Are you smoking something else in those cigarettes of yours?"

"Now, now Kami, I am all just guessing here. For me to know for sure, I'd have to take blood samples or…dissect it." He seemed to trail off into his own world after mentioning 'dissect', making Kami somewhat uncomfortable in his now menacing presence.

"Y, you don't still have this bird right? I hope you've handed it in to some wildlife shelter or reported it!"

"Nope, you're the first person I've told, funny that." He butted out his cigarette under his shoe and fiddled with his bolt. "Well I'd better get back home to experiment on my new feathered friend, so I'll see you later. I hope you have fun with your training today, Spirit surely looks psyched." Kami watched him head off in a half skip towards his 'den' and rolled her eyes as Spirit instantly appeared next to her.

"I thought he would never leave…he is a dangerous guy and will experiment on you if he gets the chance." Spirit shuddered as flashbacks of surprise experimentation had been performed on him over his previous years working beside Stein. Kami inwardly swore.

"Oh so that's why you stayed away! I should have to talk with Stein more often so you'll keep away from me."

They were met up with both Sid and Nygus inside the school's indoor courtroom for their 'special training'. Sid placed a firm grip on Spirit's shoulder as Nygus spoke quietly with Kami.

"Behave yourself you hear, the more you retaliate, the longer this all will take." Kami nodded in stern features, however inside she felt reluctant to continue. But it was true, the longer it took for them to successfully be able to fight side by side, the longer she would have to put up with him.

"Got it."

"Now Spirit, if you stay poker-faced, clear your mind of all ill-thoughts, treat her as a good friend, this will all go dandy ok?"

"But I've slept with her."

"And most of the female residents of Death City, so what? Pay attention here. I was a ladies man when I was alive but surely not as bad as you." Sid crossed his arms and shook his head. Spirit thought for a moment and whispered to Sid.

"But now your dead, so how are you with the ladies now? I'm curious…" Sid leaned in closer to Spirit so the women couldn't hear him speak.

"Well for starters, I can't get the blood flowing…"

"PAY ATTENTION YOU BOTH!" Nygus called out firmly, getting both Sid and Spirit's attention. Both women rolled their eyes simultaneously at the men in disappointment. Nygus and Kami strode to the centre of the room, joined by Sid and Spirit where she stopped and turned around so that she was facing them. Sid took his place beside Nygus leaving Spirit and Kami by themselves together.

"Now you two. We are going to try this synchronization training firstly with a simple activity that I am sure you are both familiar with." Sid gazed at them both and placed both of his hands behind his back and stood straight.

"We will have you both dance." Nygus stated.

"WHAT?" Both Kami and Spirit screeched together. Spirit glanced around the room and remembered that they had shared their first dance here in their teens while attending the Academy, grinning inwardly while still in a somewhat pleasant shock; he was going to enjoy this, even though Kami wouldn't very much he was sure.

"Ah already you are both synchronizing your thoughts, well done!" Sid remarked sarcastically.

"Dancing requires both partners to be working in the same line of thoughts and body movements, so that they flow righteously without fault. Many new Weapons and Meisters do this to increase compatibility and even fighting technique, so it's nothing out of the ordinary." Kami snorted disagreeably to Nygus's words and crossed her arms.

"You have to be kidding me." She grumbled.

"This is for the sake of DWMA's forces and the security of innocent people. We need both of your co-operation."

Kami turned to Spirit and sighed. Spirit tilted his head and watched her approach him to dangerous levels; scared if she'll beat him.

"When do we start? Do we at least get some music to kill this mood or what?" Kami yelled out angrily, getting a thumbs-up from both Sid and Nygus. Sid walked to one side of the court-room and lifted a cloth from an old gramophone and the pin onto the edge of the record; emitting a very nostalgic jazzy atmospheric tune throughout the room. Nygus joined Sid at the corner of the room and observed beside him.

Spirit took one of her hands into his own and slipped his other hand over her waist, taking the lead straight away without further discussion. Kami felt like punching him but tried to keep her cool and put that aside for when the day's training was over. She placed her free hand over his shoulder and rested it in the crook of his neck, slowly following his steps in an uncomfortable manner.

"Looks awkward don't it?" Sid whispered. Kami was watching their feet; more that it looked like Kami was watching Spirit's feet to make sure he didn't step too close to hers, and where to strike if he did. Spirit was taking the lead and was actually doing quite well, as expected of a man who can court more than one lady a night without even trying.

"It's not working at all…" Nygus sighed. "She just isn't trusting of him."

"LET HIM LEAD YOU! HE WON'T STEP ON YOUR FEET!" Sid called out over the music. Kami spun her head around and glared at them both, earning their silence.

"We should go and come back later, I'm sure we are part of why they aren't doing so good." Nygus nudged Sid's side and pointed to one of the exits.

"But they might see it as an opportunity to ditch each-other and go, one of us should supervise." Nygus cocked an eyebrow and placed a hand on one of his arms.

"They aren't little kids, they are more mature than that. Come on, let's go." Sid followed Nygus quietly across the room while watching the others dancing slowly. Spirit pulled Kami closer as the music slowed down pace to a saxophone solo, shuffling in an almost hugging embrace. Kami flustered a little at his quick progression, hiding her face into his chest so he wouldn't notice; feeling ashamed of being so close. Spirit felt a smile working it's way onto his face as he felt her cuddle in closer to him, remembering his first dance with her many years ago in this same room.

"Actually looks like they are improving, looks more natural now." He whispered, exiting through a door behind Nygus.

"I told you, they won't be going anywhere. They just needed to open up a little is all."

At the click of the door Kami pushed away from Spirit and power-walked to a different door, leaving Spirit standing by himself confused.

"Hey, where are you going?" Kami held the door open and turned her head back to him and gave a half smile.

"Pfft, it's not like they'll know I've ditched you, just leave the music on and they'll think we're still here, but I'm so outta here regardless!" and with that she was gone. Spirit stared over at the door she had just left through for a good thirty seconds before lowering his head in disappointment. He strolled over to the gramophone and scribbled a note down for Nygus and Sid.

'Sorry but this idea failed. Spirit'

Kami walked fast-paced down the many corridors, keeping a sharp eye out incase either Nygus or Sid appeared, and headed for the quickest way out to freedom. She stopped when she heard footsteps and slipped behind a statue to let whoever pass without spotting her.

"Ah, just a student playing hooky." She stepped out and approached the student. "Hey, go back to class now!" The student flinched and quickly bowed.

"I, I, I'm sorry, I won't do it again Miss, umm, cya!" the young girl quickly went back the way she went, leaving Kami proud with her achievement. Then she thought about how hypocritical she had just been; feeling bad about her actions.

"Wait, I'm playing hooky too aint I? Pfft, well unlike her, I haven't gotten caught, so it's different!"

"Havent gotten caught doing what?" A moderately mid-height blonde woman approached her from behind, holding a beaker that had an aroma of strong coffee cupped in her hands.

"Oh shit, Marie…Hi!" Kami stepped backwards against the wall in shock, making herself appear furthermore suspicious. Marie squinted her eyes at her and turned her head to the side.

"What are you doing? I thought you were supposed to be with Spirit today for…"

"We are taking a break for now! May I ask what you are doing?"

More suspicious behaviour.

"Well I'm taking Stein his coffee because he ran out at his lab, and I went to fetch some food for a bird he found this morning; it's quite peculiar and kinda cute. I just hope he hasn't cut it up by the time I get back…Shit I'd better go before he does something cruel to the poor thing, good luck with Spirit hey? Cya!" Kami stood by herself once again in the hallway and let out a guilty sigh.

"It's too late to go back now, I guess I'll go get some lunch then."

"Oh shit I am so screwed. Shit, shit, SHIT!" Inside a cage paced a black and white bird as it cursed quietly to itself. "I didn't know I would get locked up like this! In a cage with THREE pad-locks! Why can't he just put me in a normal bird cage, with a lock I can push open? Fuck, shit, shiiiiitttt…I underestimated him." The bird stopped talking when it heard a door open and dropped it's wing so it looked injured again. Marie approached the room the bird was in and placed her beaker of 'coffee' on Stein's work-bench, and then headed to the cage with the bird inside.

"Hello little guy, I got you something! She pulled a small plastic bag out of her coat pocket which looked to have some raw meat substance inside. She opened it and handed a stripe through the bars. The bird haunched back against the wall and opened it's beak, emitting light hissing noises to her actions. She pulled her fingers back through the wire and placed the meat on the table; placing her hands on her hips.

The bird moved to the cage door and started pecking the pad-locks insistently.

"Hopefully this woman can get my hints and let me out so I can escape…" the bird thought to itself. Marie watched the bird and clicked her fingers in realization.

"You want to get out Sweetie? You must be scared in there all by yourself, I'll find the key for you, just wait there…"

"It's not like I CAN go anywhere you stupid woman…" the bird said in it's head. It watched the woman wander off and search through draws and lift up papers, finally finding a set of keys. The bird looked around to spot an open window; perfect.

"Ok, I'll let you out now…Oh, the window is open, don't want you getting away with that bad injury now do we?"

"Fuck…"

Marie closed the window shut and headed back to the cage, unlocking each lock and opened the door. The little bird stepped out and wandered around the desk, carefully looking for another exit such as a vent. Marie picked up a bird-book that Stein had lay open and looked at the pictures.

"So you are a passerine…haha I don't even know what that means." The bird momentarily looked at her and continued to hop along the bench-top, letting it's gaze set on the coffee left by Marie. "You look like a Pied Raven like Professor Stein says, but that is impossible…"

"I am you idiot woman…" The raven hopped onto Stein's chair and fluffed up in defeat.

"So you must be someone's pet. I wonder what your name is…"

"Vorona." Marie looked up from her book and turned her attention to the bird in shock.

"Wait, did you just speak?" The raven shuttered as the woman's eyes had fallen upon her instantly.

"Fuck, how could I let that slip…" she thought to herself this time, making sure to not mess up again.

"I heard you speak, or I must be getting old." Marie skim-read some paragraphs from the bird-book and found a passage. "Ah, it says here that crows and ravens are talented at mimicking and even capable of forming words. So you must be someone's pet!"

"Ha, thank god she is an idiot, that's saved me." The raven felt more at ease now and pretended to fall asleep, only to have Marie wander over closer to her to examine her further.

"Say something else. Can you say any more words? Or just your owner's name?" The raven opened one eye and stretched one wing, giving up on convincing this woman that she was asleep.

"My name is Vorona." Marie sat back in amazement.

"You understand human speech? Amazing! Stein would love to dissect you!" The raven's eyes almost popped out of it's head and she started to flap her wings, petrified. The front door opened, the raven flying towards that direction and slipping out just before it closed again. Stein stood at the door, unsure of what just happened.

"Marie, was that the crow?" Marie stood like a statue as Stein gave her a fierce look of disapproval. "It was, right?"

"Y, yes it was Sir."

"And why was it out of it's cage? I was going to dissect it you know, and now I can't." Stein walked over to the cage and picked up one of it's feathers, lifting it up to his eyes and adjusted his glasses a little to examine it better. "Women take away all the excitement in a man's life…"

"I't could speak Professor! It told me it's name!" Stein sat on his wheely-chair backwards and spun it around so that he was facing her.

"And what was it's name?"

"Vorona."

"Ahh, Russian for 'crow'." He snapped the end of the quill from the feather and discarded the rest onto the floor, just missing a small bin. He rolled backwards from his living quarters and into his 'lab', placing the quill-section into a vial. Marie followed him and stood behind him curiously.

"What are you doing with that?"

"I am doing a DNA test. I am getting samples from taxidermy specimens to determine what kind of bird I…had in my possession." He emphasized 'had' to make Marie feel even guiltier. "But I have a feeling that this isn't just a bird on our hands Marie." Marie thought about what he was going on about in puzzlement.

"I don't understand."

"There have been a number of our student's disappearing and a rise in witch population. However, the public doesn't know that the witches have hidden themselves, blended in far greater than they had before. I have come to the conclusion that this may just be how the witches are doing it. That 'crow' may have just been a witch Marie, and you let her escape. Why else would foreign animal, just appear on my doorstep?" It all made sense, well sort of.

"But if taking the forms of animals now let the witches blend better, why didn't they do that before? The witches just enclosed their wavelengths and could walk as people before." Stein boiled the quill in some water, releasing a light yellow liquid that floated to the top of the vial it was sitting in. Stein removed it from the heat and placed it into a small freezer and waited.

"I'd say they are resorting to staying in an animal representation because our students have been trained to suspect people to be witches. Who would suspect an animal?"

"You…" Marie crossed her arms and leaned back against a bench behind her.

"But it is clever. Even if my theory is correct, we can't exactly cull off animals in suspicion, though I spose we couldn't do that with human either, unfortunately." Stein reached into the freezer and removed the vial, which had cooled down slightly. "And I have a feeling, that bird was up to something, and it involved me somehow."

"Did you want me to warn Death about this?" Stein shook his head as he extracted the yellow liquid from the vial with a syringe. He placed it into a tube and sealed it off with a lid, labeling it with a marker. "What is that?"

"Lipids. No, not until I am certain. Until then, I want you to check all of my paper-work and documents to see if any were stolen. And make me a cup of coffee." Marie sighed, remembering the coffee she had made which was probably cold by now.

"Right away sir." She headed back into the other room and grabbed the beaker. She thought of whether to tip it down the sink or to place it over a Bunsen-burner to heat it up again to save her the trip to the school to get more coffee. "Argh I'll just heat it up…" she grumbled.

"Good, she is still going to give it to him." The raven sat at the window-sill watching from the outside. Satisfied, she flew off.

Stein came out of his lab and snatched the beaker from the tri-pod, slightly burning his fingers from the heated glass. He then tossed it onto the floor and headed back to his lab.

"Wha? WHAT THE HELL?" Marie yelled at him angrily. She glanced at the broken glass on the floor and the coffee that was defiantly going to stain his floor.

"You had a potential witch in here, I'm sure it would have dropped something in there. Even if it wasn't a witch and just a bird, they have a tendency to shit in my beverages. So go make me a new one please." Marie grumbled a line of curses under her breath as she left the Stein's and headed outside into the sun.

"Men get so fussy as they get older…"

*_**There is a reason why I haven't given Vorona an accent in this chapter. I haven't gotten lazy with her dialect so don't worry. The next few chapters will resume back to the other characters so I hope it hasn't gone too off topic for you guys. Thanks for reading my story so far.**_


	14. Chapter 14

"I've scored lunch with Maka." Soul cockily said to Black Star as he threw the basketball into the hoop effortlessly; the ball not even touching the sides. Black Star placed his hands on his hips as he watched the ball play against him throughout their game.

"Swish! Aw yeah? How'd you do that, she payin'?" Soul laughed and slapped Black Star's back while he went to retrieve the ball, chucking it back to him.

"Pfft, hell no! If she can get out of buying her own food, she will. She has no shame in making me pay for things anymore; tis a shame when women get used to you like that. I liked it better when she'd pay for herself out of consideration because she didn't know me too well." Black Star placed the ball under his arm in pause of the game and smiled a great big Cheshire grin.

"Tsubaki still pays for her own food, and sometimes mine, sucked in!" Soul sighed loudly and irritably.

"That's because you WON'T pay for your own food most times. She can't stand the embarrassment from every time you get caught stealing food…she must spend thousands of dollars on you every year; no idea why she sticks with you man." Black Star puffed out his chest snorted proudly, totally unaware of Soul's attempt on telling him about his stealing habit.

"That my underling, is because I am so awesome." Soul scoffed and prepared himself to start the next round of half-court basketball; Black Star getting the hint for once. "So hey, where you going to take her?"

"Dunno, maybe just some fish and chips or a sandwich." Black Star slipped passed Soul with the basketball and went for the three-point marker, the ball hitting the rim and bouncing off into Soul's hands.

"FAAAAARRK!" Soul took possession and once again successfully earned another victory. "This game is rigged, let's call it a tie."

"But I clearly won by miles!" Soul whined. Black Star covered his ears with his hands and spoke loudly over Soul's bickering so that he couldn't hear him over himself. Soul knew that he was obviously not going to get Black Star to change his mind and groaned disappointedly. "Loser…"

"Hey it's already passed twelve dude, when you taking Maka out? You've already missed pancake hour at the Breakfast Bar." Soul back-slapped Black Star angrily, getting a loud whelp from him in return.

"Dude, Breakfast Bar closes at ten because they only serve BREAKFAST! Why would I take someone out for LUNCH at a place that serves exclusively breakfast? By god you are fucking dumb sometimes." Black Star rubbed his head and backed away from Soul incase of a second assault.

"Girls hate violence you know…"

"That's rich coming from you. Besides, this woman loves using violence so I'm sure I'm all good." Soul then thought back and laughed inwardly. "And I'm sure women don't like paying for their guy's food either."

"After twelve Soul…" Soul quickly snapped out of his 'bro' mode and checked his watch.

12:52pm

"Shit, I'm 'sposed to get her at one! Cya man, and I WON that game hands down!" Soul called as he was running down the street away from Black Star. Black Star gave him the finger and kicked the basketball that he was holding like a soccor-ball.

"I so totally won that game…"

1:25pm

Sweat gathered at the base of her neck and lightly coated her skin, giving her a shiny appearance from afar. She could feel her skin cooking under the sun's rays, having to wipe off palm-fulls of liquid every few minutes or so from her forehead.

"Bastard." She cupped her hands over her eyes to look out into the streets. Still no sign of him.

"Hey pretty lady, ya' wanta drink?" Maka turned around to spot a sleazy looking man hunched behind her. He held out one of his hands which had fingerless-gloves on for a reason she had no idea for since it defiantly wasn't cold. She scrunched up her face by the instantaneous odour that flew up into her nose by the movement of his arm; soon deciding to step away from him.

"No way old man, go away or you'll regret it." The man looked offended, making Maka feel guilty for him.

"Aww I'm sorry ma'am, I, I didn' mean ta make yoo mad. I, I just offered ye a beverage is all, yes I did." Maka shook her head and held out her hand to the man.

"I appologise sir, I shouldn't have been so rude. It's just that I am exspecting someone you see and I am getting sick and tired of waiting on him." The man looked at her hand as if it were a foreign object or something of valuable worth and took it gently; shaking it.

"It's ok ma'am, I isn't offended one bit; gets it all the time you see. My name is Ronnie, but my friends call me Gurney." Maka almost burst out in laughter.

"Gurney? How did anyone come up with that name from Ronnie?" Gurney let out a cackle, laced with a terrible cough and showed her a smile lacking teeth.

"Cos' when I was lil', my pops tried to give me a bath after I came home covered in slop; ended up gettin' the ol' gurney-gun on me just to get the mud off me. T'was a quick runner back then and I didn' like baths very much."

"Obviously still don't" Maka thought to herself, trying her best not to offend the man. She found herself a little awkward speaking to him but it was better than standing in the heat doing nothing at all.

"So Sweetie, who is this person yoo waitin' on? Tissit a boy?" Just as Maka was about to answer she heard her name being called out from behind her.

"MAKA! HEY!" Maka looked over her shoulder to spot Soul running towards her and waved, turning her head back to Gurney and folded her arms.

"Well this is who I was waiting on unfortunately. I'll see ya later then I 'spose?" Gurney bowed his head slightly and turned to walk off by himself.

"I aint sure I'll see ya later, but good luck with that one, he looks promising." Maka cocked an eyebrow and tilted her head a little at him.

"What makes you think that?" Gurney let out another sickly cough-laughter and pointed to his chest with both his grubby little hands, showing all his stained teeth that he had left.

"He is just like the younger me!" Maka body rippled as she pictured Soul in the same attire as Gurney; not much to look forward for, that's for sure.

"Hey Maka, sorry I'm late man…" Soul huffed heavily, leaning forward on his knees to catch his breath. Maka straightened her posture so that she was looking down on him, firmly hitting him on the back of his head with the side of her hand.

"That is for being late you numbskull."

"You hit me an awful lot. I might grow a tumor in my brain from all your abuse." Maka laughed and ruffled his hair playfully.

"You'll be fine; you firstly need a brain in order to get a brain tumor silly."

"I haven't even been here for five minutes and you are already at me. Give a guy a break man!" Maka sighed and wiped some sweat from her forehead again, remembering that she was in the sun all this time.

"Hey, let's hurry up and go find some air-con, I'm cooking up medium-rare here." Soul hadn't noticed the sheer amount of sweat that was built up over her and inwardly slapped himself; he could have asked her to wait at the park where there was shade.

"Oh shit sorry, but now I feel like having a steak…" Soul started to drool at the thought of a nice juicy steak with onion on the side, maybe a bit of lettuce and in a sandwich. He heard Maka's stomach growl and knew that she was thinking of steak too.

"You know of any good places that does steak at lunch time? Is R-K Grill still open?" Soul smiled and grabbed her hand quickly, almost dragging her off down the street.

"Damn straight it is, haven't been there in aaages!"

"Heeeeey!" A voice called out towards them both. Soul spun around to see who it was.

"Lucy? What are you doing here?" Maka looked at the older woman who was obviously in a lot of distress. She looked to be either Italian or Greek, and quite large at that. She had tight-curley dark hair and dark eyes to match.

"Soul! It'sa my husband…Leo is dead!" Lucy was on the brink of tears and had evidence of crying before-hand. Soul placed his hands comfortingly on her shoulders, massaging them lightly to calm her down; until she grabbed a-hold of him into a tight bear-booby hug that would have crushed the bones of a small child.

"Lu-cy…"

"Sorry Soul." The large woman released her grip on Soul, Soul taking in a large breath like someone would when they surface out of the water.

"Now tell me, what happened to Leo."

"He'a didn't come home the otha night from tha bar, so I got worried and called tha police. They wouldn't look for him because it was only a few hours of him being missing. So I looked for Leo myself."

"That's strange, he left pretty early."

"He always comes home for dinner with me after playing music, and he didn't thisa time. He never misses out ona home cooked meal." Soul furrowed his eye-brows in concern and suspicion to Lucy's words. Leo indeed always left quite early after playing songs, and if he was staying late he would always find a pay-phone to ring his wife to tell her he was going to be late.

"But what make's you so sure that he is dead? He could just be out somewhere." Lucy couldn't hold in her tears any longer and pulled out a photograph, handing it to Soul.

"I was called this morning by the police abouta murder-case. They found blood and torn clothes in some alley-way." Lucy's words were cut off by more suffer-filled sobbing, Soul giving her a reassuring hug to help her feel better. "It was his best suit…"

Soul pulled out from the hug and looked at the photograph. There was blood splattered up the brick walls of the alley and all over the ground as well. There were also 'Do Not Cross' tape all around the area and forensics crouch around the area taking samples as evidence.

"How did you get this photo? I'm sure they wouldn't let you bring a camera onto the crime scene." Lucy gave a sniffed before wiping her face with her blouse. She took the picture back off Soul and placed it into her handbag.

"I'ma friends with one of tha police men, he a gave it to me in secret. He will find my husband's murderer even if it takes forever." Maka stood back in shock from the event unfolding in-front of her. It just had to be whoever is messing around with the academy, she just knew it.

"He might have just been injured Lucy, there isn't a body right?" Lucy reached into her handbag, retrieving a handkerchief and blowing her nose on it loudly.

"They found some teeth and a finger Soul. He is dead boy." She said the last part in full seriousness without shedding a tear or showing hope in her voice. She already knew that there was nothing left of her husband. Maka found herself holding back to vomit at the imagery of someone hacking up a body; quite ironic since she was a scythe wielder.

"I am sorry to hear for your, our loss. Leo was a good man." Soul bowed his head in respect, Lucy doing the same. "But I must ask you something which might offend you." Lucy wiped her face with a balled up fist and straightened her posture to appear more formal.

"I will listen." Soul looked her deep into her eyes without blinking, carefully studying her for whether she will lie or not after hearing his question.

"Was Leo involved in anything?" Lucy was taken aback and appeared as though she was going to hit Soul with the closest heavy object that she could get her hands on; most likely her handbag.

"How dare you accuse him! He never woulda commit a crime or help with one! You will take that back right now boy!"

"So if he was, he didn't tell you then." Soul kept his cool from Lucy's outburst, while Maka was genuinely scared of this situation; nothing is scarier than a Mediterranean woman in a tantrum, or wielding a shopping trolley on Christmas Eve.

"You insolent little weasel, get out of my face! I will ask for help elsewhere! You younger generations always skip to conclusions! Off with you, and your little whore!" Maka felt like slapping the woman, but was beaten to it by Soul, despite her being a woman.

"Just because you loved him, didn't mean that you knew everything about him! People keep secrets Lucy, and I am sure that if he wasn't in any sort of trouble, that he would still be here! Now snap out of it and look at this realistically! We have a murderer, possibly a group of them out here on the streets of Death City, and around the world, targeting those who belong to DWMA and it's associates. Leo wasn't either, so why would he be targeted? You tell me!" Lucy glared at him wide-eyed and didn't say a word further. She shuffled her handbag over her shoulder and turned away snobbishly.

"You know nothing." Those were her last words before she was gone. Maka's heart was still racing like as if she had just ran a marathon and let out a deep sigh. She looked over to Soul and placed a hand onto his arm, lightly squeezing it.

"You ok?" She whispered softly to him. Soul's head was dipped to his chest, hiding it from Maka's plain sight. She ran her palm up and down his arm comfortingly for that she knew of nothing else to do for him. She felt him start to shake under her hand and leaned around his body so that she could see his face.

"Sorry Maka, you didn't have to see that." Soul wiped his face and looked away. Maka knew that he was hiding tears from her so she stuck to just talking from behind instead of confronting him.

"No I did. It just shows us how seriously bad this murderer is becoming. Could have been anyone Soul." Maka didn't know the man murdered but knew that he was close to Soul by how he had reacted right at the beginning at hearing of his death.

"You would have liked Leo, I wanted you to meet him…" Soul trailed off, as if he didn't hear Maka at all.

"Soul, I'm sorry." Soul turned around to face her, gripping her arms tightly, to the point of discomfort.

"Don't be. I will find this ass-hole and kill him where he stands." Maka slid her hand into his own and hugged it tenderly, grimacing from the pain of his grip on her arms.

"You wont, but we will." He looked down to her face and saw her looking back up to him with full eyes; just like when they were younger and fought together. He loosened his grip on her arm and let them drop to his sides and sighed chunkily, his aggression leaving his body slowly as he exhaled.

"Thanks Maka."

"Don't sweat it." She gave Soul a 'thumbs-up', fisting his chest lightly with the same hand still in the thumbs-up position. Soul decided to let everything leave his mind and pulled Maka into a tender hug, causing Maka to go red-faced from the spontaneous tenderness given by him.

"Now before I kill someone, let's go get that lunch."


	15. Chapter 15

"So how was your first night of '_normal_' adult behaviour?" Tsubaki, completely sobered up, yet slightly still not in her right pace, was sitting beside Liz on the perfectly positioned luxury-couch in the centre of Kid's entertainment room. The room had a pool-table on each side, both with beautifully elegant carvings all the way down the legs, identical to the other table on the other side. All the cues lined up from shortest to tallest, mirrored on the other side so that it looked like a fancy artwork in itself alone. They both had the balls in position for if someone wanted to play a game anytime, but unfortunately if Kid was in the premises, pool was not an option for his own reasons.

There was also a bar that stood behind the tables, with a wide selection of fine spirits all the way to the most hard to get sparkling wines; often replaced on a regular basis so that Kid wouldn't flip. The floor was covered with a fawn coloured shag-carpet, ending at the entrance of the room; except for behind the bar where it was lined with timber to avoid stains. Odd sculptures and paintings and so on also littered the border of the walls to give it the 'touch' that Kid found completed the room splendidly.

The couch sat in front of the TV where the both sat together, however it was not on. There were all sorts of game-consoles situated underneath the TV in a little hidden compartment in the stand, so that when a desired console was wanted, people would be removing one instead of having a cluttered stack of them all laying over the floor.

Tsubaki took a drink from a beverage provided by Liz and turned up her face to the bitter taste.

"My, what is this? It tastes horrible!" she groaned and handed it to Liz, only to get it pushed back.

"My hangover concoction, it works like a charm. Just take it like a shot, and don't say you can't, because you proved to us last night that you sure as hell can." Liz inwardly laughed as Tsubaki glared at her and quickly drank the rest of the "concoction", held it in her mouth hesitantly before swallowing the whole lot.

"That is so gross..."

"Good things always taste bad, you'll have to get used to it. I heard some Asian countries; the people drink tea all the time and live to hundreds of years! I'd rather die in my thirties personally than spend my life just drinking that stuff, bleh!" Tsubaki placed the glass at her feet and leaned back into the couch comfortably against the cushions.

"But I like tea, it's quite refreshing really."

"It's really shit no offence."

"Each to their own Liz." Liz shook her head in conflict but chose not to continue their conversation.

"So Maka is back, good news hey? Soul looked so happy under his drunken, depressive self." Tsubaki turned her head to look over to Liz beside her and cocked an eyebrow.

"I didn't notice." She replied wispily, coughing lightly to clear her throat. Liz scoffed a sarcastic laugh and ruffled her already messy hair.

"Cos' you were off your face sweetie, you probably don't remember much at all last night." Tsubaki went to a bright red and hid her face into the back of the couch, now gaining the curiosity of Liz.

"Hey, hey, don't be embarrassed about it, half of those people won't ever see you again, and the majority were close friends, we've all just about been in that posit..."

"It's not that Liz..." Tsubaki moaned into the couch, still not showing her face. Liz adjusted herself on the couch so that she now was perched on her folded up legs and facing Tsubaki and not the TV.

"Then what is it? You feel sick or something?" Tsubaki slowly turned her head, face still ruby-red and opened her eyes. She bit her lip in a fiddling motion and made eye-contact for a split second before looking downwards awkwardly.

"I kinda did something else when I got home..." Liz knew where this was going, much to her excitement. Her body was filling to the brim due to the knowledge of something juicy about to be spilled.

"Hmm, you mean 'someone else'?" Tsubaki grabbed a hold of Liz and buried her face into her chest. Liz could feel her shaking; the amusement left her body and now changed over to concern. "You can tell me anything, my lips are sealed."

"Thank you Liz."

"Don't worry, that's what friends are for right?" Tsubaki loosened her grip on Liz and sat back into her previous position. She took in a deep breath and slowly exhaled with her eyes closed.

"I kinda got, carried away."

"Well yeah, Black Star carried you from the car into your house." Tsubaki frowned at Liz's terrible joke and continued on.

"Anyway, being in my intoxicated state, plus, you know..." her eyes flicked down to her crotch and Liz got the hint; besides, everyone who got stuck in the book of Eibon all knew that she was the one who lusted the most.

"Ohhh, you boned him! You go girl!" Tsubaki slapped Liz hard on her face, going a brighter red than before.

"SHHH! Don't tell anyone! You have to promise me!" Liz sighed and placed a heart-warming hand on her shoulder and put on a serious face.

"You know, Black Star won't keep his mouth shut about it. He'll probably brag to everyone he knows and doesn't know." Tsubaki rolled her eyes.

"What is there to brag about losing your virginity when you're over twenty?" Liz thought for a moment and shrugged her shoulders.

"I wouldn't know, I must have been fourteen I think...but Black Star will find something accomplishing about it. Besides, what makes you think he hasn't been 'around'?" Tsubaki tilted her head and cocked an eyebrow.

"As great as he thinks he is, a lot of women don't agree that he is, let alone many men either."

"Fair point. But you never know with anyone about their sex-lives. Like come on, Ox has a girlfriend, he obviously has gone third base and he is a pretty big dork just like Black Star." Tsubaki started to feel a short burst of jealously at the thought of Black Star being with someone else before her, and then shook all doubts out of her mind.

"Nope, I'm still confident that he was a virgin." Liz huffed in disagreement.

"How are you so confident?"

"He was terrible. Didn't know how to do anything right." Liz bursted out with laughter at Tsubaki's statement, Tsubaki joining in after a while, feeling more comfortable talking about such a tender subject with her.

"Thank God you were drunk then, for your sake."

"_Well I wasn't really..."_

"Ha ha yeah."

"And all those 'books' you read, I'm sure you gave him a heck of a night to remember." Tsubaki flushed a little, getting an evil little giggle from Liz.

"How did you know about those..."She mumbled quietly .

"I've been to your house lots of times."

"HEY YOU GUYS! I'M BACK!" Patty busted into the room holding some plastic bags filled with shopping, with Kid standing beside her holding a whole lot more than she was; symmetrically stacked of course. Tsubaki jumped and stayed quiet while Liz got up on her knees to lean over the top of the couch to talk to them both who were now standing at the edge of the entertainment room and the living room next door.

"Took your time, it's already passed lunch already. Whad'you get me?" Patty placed her haul of bags on a table in the other room and searched through them to pull out a loaf of bread and some other sandwich making foods such as cheese, sliced ham, tomatoes etc.

"I'll make you a sandwich OKAYY!" she yelled from the other room, Kid walking straight passed her to go into the kitchen.

"Not there Patty, we make food in here." Patty glanced over her shoulder at Kid and looked back at what she was doing.

"But I want to be able to talk to Liz..."she whined, scooping up everything that she had just emptied out back into the bags and joined Kid. Meanwhile, Liz patted Tsubaki on the shoulder and stood up from the couch, offering her hand out to help Tsubaki up.

"C'mon, let's go help out; you are so filling me in with the details later." Tsubaki smiled and grabbed her hand to be lifted up and they walked together into the kitchen.

"Remember, our secret only..." Tsubaki whispered just before they were in range of the kitchen.

"My lips are sealed."

Maka and Soul stood in front of the steakhouse disappointed.

Closed for renovations.

"Damn, not our day today." Soul grumbled, putting his hands in his pockets and glaring at the sign that was taped to the window. Maka sighed and shook her shirt in attempt to cool herself.

"I hate this humidity after the rain, it's terrible." Soul watched her from the corner of his eye and noticed her breasts were showing a lot better every-time she shook her shirt around. Even though it was hot, he wasn't complaining now.

"We'll just go home then, I'll crack on the air-con for a bit hey?" Maka stopped shaking her clothes and puffed up her cheeks to show her disapproval of his male hospitality.

"How about that ice-cream?" she encouraged. Soul took some time to think and came around to agreeing, after seeing the persistence in her face.

"Sure, it's not too far from here."

"_My his attitude changed fast, i wonder why..."_ Maka thought to herself.

They walked down a row of shops, Maka looking into each one to get a glimpse of all the people inside and the products that were displayed in each one. Soul chose not to talk much, which she didn't really blame him since he had just got some terrible news and he was deprived of protein. Surprisingly, he was taking it all quite well for someone who had just had a good friend pass away due to 'unnatural' causes.

The little bell chimed as they opened the door of the confectionary store, which also served ice-cream and gelato; they lived in a hot place so it most likely sold more than lollies anyway. Maka looked around the building, remembering it from years ago when she was little. Her dad used to take her here, give her some money and run off with some hussy without her noticing. Maka sighed and stayed along-side Soul as they approached the ice-cream cabinet.

"Whad'ya like Maka?" Maka looked at the long row of many flavours, reading each little sign that poked out of the tubs to tell a customer what they were.

Coconut Delite, Mango Madness, Blueberry Swirl, Raspberry Ripple...

"They expanded the flavours since I was last here..." Maka stared in awe, while Soul smiled watching her.

"It used to be seasonal, but since this place turned into a big hit here, they have been importing foreign fruit when it isn't available in America locally." Soul explained. Maka looked at them all and decided on a simple, well-known flavour.

"I'll take Strawberry." Soul nodded and pressed a little bell that sat on the counter, a scruffy-girl about their age came out to greet them.

"Hello, how may I help you both?" she said while chewing on gum loudly, with the jaw motions of a cow lazily chewing it's cud. Very attractive.

"Hey, a triple-scoop Chocolate and a single Strawberry ice-cream please." Maka stepped on Soul's foot and leaned over the counter.

"A double-scoop Strawberry please." Soul grabbed the scruff of her collar and pulled her from the counter.

"Only single, I don't want her getting fat." Both the woman and Soul laughed together and Maka rolled her eyes irritated at his fat statement.

"Oh wouldn't you like me to stay thin, a double for me." She stated to the pair of them. The girl smiled and gave them their ice-cream, taking the money that Soul had handed her and gave him back his change.

"Now you too, don't fight, it's not good for you." She watched them both leave the store together and tilted her head to the side slightly, removing her gum and placing it under the counter.

"Cute them two."


	16. Chapter 16

Death sat waiting patiently in his office, however not in a friendly mood. He tapped his thick fingers in a regular beat from pinky to forefinger and stared directly at the direction of the hallway that lead to the door. He heard the door open creakily and footsteps slowly approach his 'manor'. Spirit stood before him with a fresh cup of tea, a new blend, and placed it in-front of him before quickly stepping backwards, waiting for him to speak. Death stopped tapping his fingers and placed both of his hands slowly around the outside of the cup as if to warm his hands, took a sip and gently placed it back down.

"I heard that your training was unsuccessful." He firmly stated, keeping his voice dark to illustrate his anger towards Spirit clearly. Spirit shuddered and bowed forward quickly.

"I, I am so sorry Lord Death, I, tried my best to,"

"Then try harder." Death cut in aggressively. Spirit couldn't see how that it was such a big deal, it was only their first day after all; for goodness sake they had all week.

"But Sir, I am more than happy to cooperate with her, but she just doesn't seem to...I really can't think of a way to put it."

"Seriously, it can't be that hard to work together knowing that people are dying!" Spirit looked down at his feet and felt something lurch inside his stomach after hearing his words.

"I do understand."

"It doesn't seem that you do, I just got word from East Timor last night that one of the students that we sent there had just been found mutilated to the point of being unrecognisable apart from his uniform. Not only there, but in Turkey and New Zealand both had loses, all just from this morning only. The longer it takes for me to get some professionals out there, the more that people will suffer!" The door once again opened and they were accompanied by Sid and Kami who both gathered around the table also.

"You both have a lot of explaining to do." Sid crossed his arms in a parental kind of way. Death held his palm up to silence him.

"Kami, do you know where Nygus is right now?" Kami looked over to Sid who had kept a straight face, not giving her any clues. She glanced over to Spirit who looked just as confused as her at that very moment.

"No M'Lord, I do not."

"Well, while you both abandoned your duties, we had students being dragged in left, right and centre from around the perimeters of Navada and close neighbouring States. She has been in the infirmary since noon treating near dead students; children." Sid clenched his fists tightly and growled angrily, turning his face towards Spirit and then back to Kami. Kami felt her heart race faster and her gut pulled tightly at the image of young students, coated in blood; and then the faces of their parents when they found out. All because of her own selfish actions; it could have been her own daughter she thought.

"I, I didn't realise..."

"What?" Death snapped. Death hadn't touched his tea since his first sip; it no longer had steam arising from its surface now.

"I'm sorry M'Lord." Spirit looked up from the ground and glanced over towards Kami. Kami felt the urge to apologise then and there because she knew that he was honestly trying yet she wasn't. He looked both angry and sad, though she figured she didn't look too far off.

"Lord Death, may I have permission to speak?" Spirit spoke calmly. Death nodded and pushed his now cold tea away from himself, placing his fingers in an orderly perfect triangle of fingers such as those of a plotting Mafia boss from the movies. "I am now aware of the full severerity of the situation that we are in and will put one-hundred percent in from now on."

"As will I." Kami quickly added, stepping forward. Spirit looked over to her and smiled, quickly hiding it so that he wasn't noticed by her. It went silent for a moment as they all stood, waiting for an answer from Death. Death then stood from his seat and placed his hands behind his back and headed towards his mirror, looking away from them both.

"So be it, you are both dismissed." Spirit and Kami quickly bowed and power-walked towards the exit of the room. At the click of the door Death and Sid both gave out a deep sigh of relief.

"You reckon it will work?" Death muttered.

"When i was alive, I was quite an actor." Sid stated matter-of-factly. Not long after, Nygus entered the office and joined them. She looked at them both suspiciously and squinted her eyes as if the x-ray their minds.

"What are you both up to?" Death turned to face Nygus and laughed, waving one of his large hands around in a swatting motion at the same time.

"Oh, just our plan B of course! I am certain that they will take it seriously from now on."Sid nodded in agreement.

"But if they ask about how many student's that you had to perform autopsies on, just make something up." Nygus coughed into one hand.

"I am glad that we are taking a more serious route to this matter but I have come to inform you of some important news Lord Death." Nygus stated. Death's mask furrowed into a frown and all went silent. Nygus straightened her back and closed her eyes momentarily while taking in a deep breath. "We have a wittiness of one of the killers in Death City from the latest murder of last night."

"Bring him to me."

"Hey Maka, I haven't seen your mum yet, where is she? She isn't like your dad I hope." Maka laughed, almost spitting all over Soul.

"Oh heavens no, she has class unlike him." Maka answered, trying to calculate the number of times she was locked out of her hotel room due to her mother's 'urges' and decided to leave that behind a closed door for now. "I think she is doing some business talk with Death for today, i don't even know the hotel that she is staying at, let alone the room number."

"So she has abandoned you." Soul smirked, getting a dig in the ribs from Maka but it was all so worth her angry expression; maybe he was a masochist deep down inside.

"No she didn't, she let me off to do my own thing until I am summoned at the school. Maybe Stein or Marie will contact me or something." She had the little paper-wrapper that was around her ice-cream cone still in her hand as they walked together; Soul long throwing his down onto the ground.

"So really, Monday is when you were going to start this teaching thing right?" Soul questioned. She seemed to lighten up by his query much to his liking.

"I think so, I might start a little early with Stein though, to go over the basics of what I should be doing. I can't exactly just rock up to a class and have no idea on what I'm teaching." She continued to talk on about it all so joyfully and quickly. All this information that she was trying to insert into his brain was starting to get difficult to soak in, but he tried very hard to seem like he was paying attention. Maka seemed to enjoy conversing in anything that related to teaching, which made her seem prettier and friendlier for some reason.

"Hey, can I come too?" Maka stopped and looked at his weirdly.

"What was that?" Soul rolled his eyes and placed his hands into his pockets casually, avoiding eye contact.

"You know, to your first class..." Maka giggled which made him feel slightly embarrassed.

"It is at eight in the morning, can you handle that?" Soul thought back and remembered that he had to be at the abattoirs by nine.

"I have work early, how long are you going to work for then? I might come later in the day or something." Maka was curious; he hadn't spoken a word of where he currently worked. She ran all the kinds of jobs he would suit in her mind like a slot machine.

"Oh I finish at three, by the way, I never heard of the place that you work at, I thought you just bummed around at the tavern?" Soul remembered that he still had his work-clothes soaking in a bucket in his house.

"Just at the abattoirs near the edge of town, they lacked someone good with a knife."

"_Very hard to believe in a high criminal rate place like this..." _Maka thought to herself.

"That suits you actually, you get to utilise your weapon self I suppose right?" Soul nodded coolly, changing his arm into a long-thin blade. It had been a long time since she had seen him do that; as a matter of fact, he was the first she'd seen anyone do any form of transformation since she'd got back.

"It's insulting though. I am an all powerful Death-scythe that spent years to get this far, only to be downgraded to a slaughterer of pigs." Maka lightly knuckled his arm playfully and smiled.

"That's what we've been doing all these years anyway, hasn't changed a bit." They crossed a bin and Maka made her way over to it to discard her little wrapper while it was on her mind.

"Ha, you're right." He scoffed at her response.

The time had passed relatively quickly and before they knew it, the sky was dyed a vivid canary yellow. The sun appeared to be panting as it slowly set, taking the colour with it as they both made their way back home after their walk to nowhere in particular. They chatted idly as they climbed the stairs up to their apartment to find Blair curled up in-front of the door on the ground. She opened one eye and let out a lazy yawn before sitting up to greet them both.

"Good Morning." She muttered, Maka rolled her eyes at the lazy cat and ignored her. Soul reached into his pockets for his keys to open his door. "Hey don't be rude to me, meow."

"Well good afternoon to you then." Maka huffed. Blair blinked a few times before she looked out at the sky to notice that it was indeed later than she had thought.

"Oh, I overslept I think, that tom-cat really rocked my night away, I'm sooo tired." She yawned again, Soul finally finding the right key to let themselves in. Blair squeezed in with Maka before the door was closed on her, much to Maka's displeasure, and made her way towards the kitchen-bench, perching herself on its surface. "What's for my dinner then?" Soul grabbed Blair by the scruff of her neck and lifted her off the bench, going back towards the door to throw her out.

"Nothing for you, now get out." Blair struggled in his hand, until he stood in-front of the door to grab the knob with his other free hand. She then transformed into her voluptuous human form and pinned him up against the wall.

"Oh why so tense? You want some alone time with your little friend there hmm? Why not me?" Soul had her large breasts pressed right up against his chest, riding upwards so that they were touching his chin slightly when she spoke. Soul glanced towards the kitchen, just hoping Maka didn't see him like this; it would be a bout of Maka nagging and a possible projectile in his direction he was sure.

"No Blair, you free-load too much, go bully food off some pervert elsewhere." Blair whined and stomped one of her feet like a little girl in a shopping mall that didn't get the dress she wanted.

"But Spirit told me to leave him alone toooo! Why is everyone so mean!" Soul tried to slide down the wall from her 'clutches' during her ranting only to get stopped halfway at her stomach as she pressed her hips against him firmly.

"Blair! GO!" Blair bent down so that she was eye level with Soul and leaned in towards his face seductively. He felt his heart race and his face sweat uncontrollably as her mouth came extremely close to him. She missed his face altogether and whispered into his ear quietly.

"How about a threesome?" Soul stood up instantly and reefed the doorknob open.

"OUT!" Blair walked out hesitantly, having the door slammed behind her angrily by Soul. He let out a deep sigh and made his way back to the kitchen where, hopefully, Maka wasn't there ready to pounce on him over what just happened. He looked around the corner to spot the fridge opened and her squatting in-front of it in search of something in particular. He wiped his forehead from the excess sweat he had just produced and leaned on the kitchen bench staring down at her.

"Does she still do that?" Maka grumbled, hadn't even looked over at Soul, placing a hand on a jar of what looked like peanut butter, looked at the label and put it back. Soul sighed and ran a hand through his scruffy hair before shaking it side to side like a dog.

"Not really, she usually stays with..."

"My Papa?" she quickly interrupted

"Yeah..."

"I heard." Soul walked over to the fridge and grabbed a jug of water, making his way to an overhead cupboard to find himself a mug. She finally stood up and closed the fridge with nothing and joined him over at the bench, and jumped up onto it so that she was sitting with her legs dangling over the edge. They didn't talk for a while and it had become awkward between the two. Maka had all sorts of conversation ideas loitering around in her mind but just couldn't decide on which one to start off with. He fell back on one elbow against the bench and casually drank from his mug, letting out a quiet refreshed sigh each time he lowered his mug down. Then she thought back to Blair. She'd heard them at the door arguing which made her curious to if their relationship was the same as it was when she left; a string of jealously striked at her chest and she found herself wanting to pry out any little bit of information that regarded that. "So what did Blair tell you at the door?" Soul spat out water across the room and spun his head around to look at Maka in surprise; suspicious. He placed his now empty mug on the bench next to him and stuttered.

"S,sh, she was just being herself, nothing...else, shit." She noticed his neck turning red and cocked an eyebrow, her heart started to pace as she grew angry.

"Oh? How so?" Her voice grew firm and Soul knew he was in a danger zone, one wrong move and he was going to get into a lot of pain.

"_Fuck, fuck, fuck, I should just tell her that she was trying to seduce me, sounds real enough."_

"She said I was mean for throwing her out like that." He mentally slapped himself; well it was true really, he figured. Maka glared at him and gave a quirky smile. She leaned forward so that her breasts appeared larger and changed her voice to parody Blair.

"Oh but Soul, you _are_ so mean!" Soul tried to hold back a laugh at her terrible attempt to sound sexy, but it was cute none-to-less.

"Not cool Maka, sexy doesn't suit you." Maka scoffed and sat back up straight, crossing her arms like a child.

"It's not my fault that I haven't got cantaloupes for breasts and pants that ride up my ass ..." she shouted aggressively. "All you guys are the same, I bet you have been enjoying all the hussies since the day I left!"

"Now you are just jumping to conclusions, not all men are bad Maka." Maka slid off the bench to set herself in a more defensive manner standing directly in-front of him.

"Well it sure as hell does seem like it."

"You know, ever since you got here, all you've done is provoke fights." Maka stopped yelling and looked away. She thought back and realised it was true. Soul, still keeping a casual appearance looked into her eyes while she pondered to herself; was it always going to be like this.

"I'm sorry Soul, I have to go." She left the kitchen, leaving Soul standing by himself. She stopped at the door and waited momentarily, finally grabbing hold of the doorknob.

"And for your information, I've held off for four years, hope you're happy." Maka left in silence.


End file.
